Trustees’ Report to Members at Havering Talking Newspaper AGM October 15[th] 2022
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This year we are sad that Shirley Clarke has decided to retire after over 40 years’ service with HTN. Shirley was for many years the Secretary and was, and still is the font of all knowledge regarding HTN. We are hoping to record some recollections of the past 40 years for future editions. Also, this year Pat Marriott has retired she is not enjoying good health and is unable to continue.
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We are also sad to report that Val Poole who was a long serving volunteer and a committee member passed away this summer. Several of us attended her funeral service.
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We are happy to confirm the appointment of Marilyn Paolino as a committee member.
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Georgie Bastin, John Pugh and I attended the annual Talking Newspaper Federation conference held in the Music Museum, Brentford. It was a good opportunity to network and find out how other Talking Newspapers are managing. Several are very go-ahead; some are struggling with funding/volunteers. During lunch we were entertained by an organist playing a fully restored Wurlitzer Theatre organ that arose from the stage. As the hall was not that large, about the same size as this one, all conversation ceased because of the volume of the mighty machine!!
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Shirley and Pat attended many TNF annual conferences and are remembered fondly by the TNF committee members and I was asked to pass on their regards, which I did!
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We currently have 24 volunteers who help prepare the recordings. Without volunteers we could not function
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Mo Brace a long-standing committee member has agreed to become an editor alongside Gwyn, we are seeking another editor so if anyone knows of anyone who would be able to help please let me know.
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Our listener numbers have dropped slightly this year from 142 last year to currently 125. There are several listeners who do not receive the memory stick but listen via the BWBF app.
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HTN ‘s first edition went out on 03 Apr 1975 and last week we published edition 2305
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We are currently recording once every three weeks and gradually hope to increase the frequency. Local news is still getting hard to find so we struggle to find sufficient news content. Nearly all TNs across the country are experiencing the same problems.
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We would welcome your comments, what works well, what could we do better, what would you like us to include?
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I have continued to do some housework in the studio and in the heatwave; I disposed of a lot of old recording and electrical equipment, I did this during the heat wave so I could get in my A/C car and cool down in the drive to/from the tip!
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Last November we had delivered a new conference table and 12 new chairs to replace the old furniture. We decided to have Internet installed in the studio and this has been a benefit to us and Sight Action. David Bower who is an IT consultant volunteered to be our computer genius, connecting up the system and all was ok!
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December 2021, we employed an electrical contractor to check the supply and do the PAT testing. The emergency lighting system was renewed as all the old units were either faulty or showing signs of wear. We had remote switches put on all the heaters so they could be activated ahead of time, so far so good.
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Our two computers were nearly 12 years old and using windows 7 and starting to play up. We purchased a new computer in March to replace the existing ones and installed a new version of Kards2 which is the operating system for the audio production. All was well although there were some niggles in duplication the memory sticks. We also replaced all our memory sticks for those of a higher capacity
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July, disaster struck! All of a sudden we could not access the Kards2 System and we found out that Kings Audio who provided much of our equipment and software had ceased trading. Fortunately, David Bower by some trickery was able to reinstall Kards 2 but only because we had bought the latest model computer and had Installed Kards2 in March. Kings Audio had a virtual monopoly of equipment used by the majority of Talking Newspapers, fortunately we have a supply of playback machines for the time being, however we will have to find a new source that TNF are currently researching. We will also need to purchase a different audio recording program as should Kards2 fail and there would be no remedy.
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We obtained FOC 2 memory stick duplicating machines in 2021 from Waltham Forest Talking Newspaper to replace our old ones, unfortunately these too seem unreliable and we will be discussing with the committee purchasing new ones.
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Our finances are extremely healthy and we can report that the finances of HTN are assured for many years ahead. In the 2021 accounts we recorded a total of £86,088.39 from two legacies, which we were most fortunate to receive, one from the estate of Joyce Jennings and the other from Dorothy Curtis. Other donations for 2021 include £669.23 from listeners and other supporters and £25,000 on the
closure of the Talking Newspaper that operated in Waltham Forest. The interest from our savings account was £133 so in total we received £111,896. We thank all those who have donated to us during 2021. In 2022, we were surprised and so grateful to have received another substantial legacy of £200,000 from the estate of Mary Driscoll, she was a long-serving volunteer with our Talking Newspaper. This amount will be included in the accounts for 2022 and presented at the AGM in 2023. As Trustees we are currently setting up a platform that will allow us to deposit a large proportion of our funds, likely to up to £300,000 in multiple savings accounts to maximise the interest rates and enjoy the protection of the Financial Services Commission. The platform is run by Flagstone in conjunction with the Charities Aid Foundation which offers guidance for charities when managing their funds.
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We are pleased that we have a close relationship with Sight Action (Havering) and are happy to allow them to use our premises by arrangement and on a limited basis, free of charge. The committee has agreed to waive any shared costs with them.
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Our lease with the Methodist Church is being renegotiated and we are awaiting details of the new lease arrangements which will involve us in some legal fees.
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And a big thank you to you our listeners and volunteers without whom HTN could not operate.
Greg Brome, Chairman on behalf of the Trustees
| 31.12.21 | 31.12.20 | 31.12.20 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| t | € | ||
| INCOMING RESOURCES | |||
| Voluntarylncome: | |||
| Donations/Legacies | 86,763 | 1 | 50 3 |
| TNDonation onclosure | 25,000 | 0 | |
| Gift Aid | 0 | 0 | |
| Activitiesfor generating funds: | 0 | 0 | |
| lnterestReceived | 133 | 58 | |
| Total lncomingResources | 111,896 | ---ltqq- | |
| RESOURCES EXPENDED | |||
| COVID/H&S | 138 | 125 | |
| StudioEquipment | 2,390 | 0 | |
| StudioMaintenance | 4,492 | 45 | |
| Memory SticksandKey rings | 0 | 0 | |
| Electricity | 78 | 263 | |
| WaterRates | 40 | 67 | |
| lnsurance (includingFire) | 784 | 920 | |
| Conference | 50 | 0 | |
| AGMExpenses | 266 | 0 | |
| Telephone | 211 | 263 | |
| Postage | 0 | 10 | |
| Depreciation | 917 | 960 | |
| Padded Postage Bags | 0 | 0 | |
| $undries Totalresources expended |
374 _____9J4_ |
194 ru |
|
| NET(OUTGOTNGyTNCOMTNGRESOURCES | 102,156 | -1,341 | |
| Reservesat1stJanuary 2021 | 22,944 | 24,314 | |
| RESERVESAT 31stDECEMBER2021 | 125,060 | 22,904 |
| FixedAssets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Recording | |||
| ComputersEquipment | Total | ||
| Costasat01.01.21 | 0 | 3709 | 3709 |
| Additions | 0 | 876 | 876 |
| Disposals | 00 | 0 | |
| Co$ asat31.12.21 | 0 | 4585 | 4585 |
| Depreciationasat01.01.2{ | 0 | 1831 | 1831 |
| Depreciation firrthe year | 0 | 917 | 917 |
| Disposals | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Depreciationasat91.12.21 | 0 | 2748 | 2748 |
| Written down valueasat0,l.01.21 | 0 | 1877 | 1877 |
| Written down valueasat 3{.12.2{ | 0 | 1837 | 1837 |
| 31.12.21 | 31.12.20 | 31.12.20 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| t | € | ||
| INCOMING RESOURCES | |||
| Voluntarylncome: | |||
| Donations/Legacies | 86,763 | 1 | 50 3 |
| TNDonation onclosure | 25,000 | 0 | |
| Gift Aid | 0 | 0 | |
| Activitiesfor generating funds: | 0 | 0 | |
| lnterestReceived | 133 | 58 | |
| Total lncomingResources | 111,896 | ---ltqq- | |
| RESOURCES EXPENDED | |||
| COVID/H&S | 138 | 125 | |
| StudioEquipment | 2,390 | 0 | |
| StudioMaintenance | 4,492 | 45 | |
| Memory SticksandKey rings | 0 | 0 | |
| Electricity | 78 | 263 | |
| WaterRates | 40 | 67 | |
| lnsurance (includingFire) | 784 | 920 | |
| Conference | 50 | 0 | |
| AGMExpenses | 266 | 0 | |
| Telephone | 211 | 263 | |
| Postage | 0 | 10 | |
| Depreciation | 917 | 960 | |
| Padded Postage Bags | 0 | 0 | |
| $undries Totalresources expended |
374 _____9J4_ |
194 ru |
|
| NET(OUTGOTNGyTNCOMTNGRESOURCES | 102,156 | -1,341 | |
| Reservesat1stJanuary 2021 | 22,944 | 24,314 | |
| RESERVESAT 31stDECEMBER2021 | 125,060 | 22,904 |
| FixedAssets | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Recording | |||
| ComputersEquipment | Total | ||
| Costasat01.01.21 | 0 | 3709 | 3709 |
| Additions | 0 | 876 | 876 |
| Disposals | 00 | 0 | |
| Co$ asat31.12.21 | 0 | 4585 | 4585 |
| Depreciationasat01.01.2{ | 0 | 1831 | 1831 |
| Depreciation firrthe year | 0 | 917 | 917 |
| Disposals | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Depreciationasat91.12.21 | 0 | 2748 | 2748 |
| Written down valueasat0,l.01.21 | 0 | 1877 | 1877 |
| Written down valueasat 3{.12.2{ | 0 | 1837 | 1837 |