2021-03-31-accounts - Highbury Area Community Association

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HIGHBURY AREA COMMUNITY

ASSOCIATION

Registered Charity Number 276283

Annual Report 1/4/ 2020 to 31/3/2021

Address:

Highbury Community Centre

Hawthorn Crescent

Cosham

Por

uth

P0 6

2TL

Trustees:

Graham Heaney Maureen Allen

Simon

Sansbury Ashgar Shah

Independent Examiner

Jeanette Smith

Paignton

Avenue

Portsmouth

Bank

Nat West Bank

Commercial Road

Portsmouth

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Background

Highbury Area Community Association was formed and registered in 1978, under a constitution amended in 2004, with the aim of operating Highbury Community Centre. The original community centre was demolished in 2010 and replaced by a new, larger building to allow the accommodation of a Children's Centre, which subsequently closed in March 2018.

The charity is an unincorporated association and is controlled by its governing document, the constitution, registered with the Charity Commission.

The centre belongs to Portsmouth City Council but is occupied by the Association at nil rent. PCC looks after the structure of the building and the Association is responsible for internal repairs and maintenance. All running costs such as rates and utilities are paid by the Association.

The Association is managed by a volunteer management committee of trustees, who meet regularly to set policy, make financial decisions and ensure the centre is in a safe and welcoming condition.

The trustees are elected by the membership at the Annual General Meeting and each receives an induction pack, as well as being offered access to appropriate training for their role.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Public benefit

The Objects of the charity in accordance with its constitution are:

Promote the benefit of the inhabitants of the City of Portsmouth, particularly the area known as Highbury Estate and its neighbourhood, without distinction of gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnic origin or of political, religious or other opinions, by associating with the local authorities, voluntary organisations the inhabitants and, in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of the life of the said inhabitants.

a) Establish or secure the establishment of a Community Centre

Risk management

The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. The trustees have in place the necessary policies and procedures for the operation of the centre and the association and meet monthly to oversee policy and finance matters, with the Administrator in attendance as the professional advisor.

The dependence of the association upon the annual staffing support grant, in a time when local authorities have reducing budgets, has been identified as a risk to its long term sustainability and trustees are working on ways to address this.

Reserves

The charity has an agreed Reserves Policy and following Charity Commission guidance has identified the equivalent of three months operational costs as the appropriate free reserves level.

Performance and Achievements

As we began our new year the country had begun to see the full the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic. This resulted in the government requiring a comprehensive lockdown that meant we had to shut the community centre for all activities for a considerable period during this year. The Centre had to cancel bookings for birthday parties and all group activities as these gatherings were not permitted under Covid regulations. The government put in various mitigating measures including financial support and we were able to take advantage of this. We were able to take claim grants that helped to cover for

the lost income to the Centre and we were able to furlough our two members of staff and they were able to be paid a proportion of their earnings from the government support provided.

By the end of March 2021 the government was looking towards easing the restrictions on activity as the vaccine programme for Covid 19 was being rolled out to larger numbers of people.

The overall impact on our finances has been less severe than might have been expected due to the financial support that has been available to the Centre. We hope that the various groups that have used the Centre will be able to recommence their activities soon and we can start booking the full range of group activities at the Centre

We would like to thank our two staff members for their work during this difficult period.

Agreed by the Committee of Trustees and signed on their behalf by Graham Heaney, Chair

15[th] September 2021

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF HIGHBURY AREA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION 5t I report on the accounts of the organisation for the year ending 31 March 2021, which are set out on the following page. Respective responslbilitie8 of trustee and examlner: As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts., you consider that the audit requirement of section 43(2> of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, in the basis of prOdureS specified in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 43(7)(b) of the Act, whether, particular matters have come to my attention. Basi$ of the independent examln•r's report My examination was carried OLrt in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The prOdureS 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 view by the accounts. Independent Examiners Ststement In connection with my examination no matter has come to my attention: which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the Act and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met. or 2. to which, in my opinion attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Jeanette Smith 43 Paignton Avenue Portsmouth P03 6LL 4 June 2021

HIGHBURY AREA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Incom• & Expendlturn Account 1.4.2020 to 31.3.2021 Income 2020121 2019120 Hirings PCC staffing grant Covid grants Furlough wages refunds 3,787 6,500 20,956 8,123 24,695 6,500 Total: £39,366 £31,195 Expondlturn Staff costs Gaslelectrlcity Water Rates Refuse 281 Phone 510 Posvstationery 135 Cleaning materials +extra cleanlng 101 Insurance Miscellaneous ' 14,386 2,365 1.358 12,302 3.282 537 611 587 472 351 880 401 1,949 515 Total: £20,059 £21,372 Surplus for perlod: £19,307 'Miscellaneous includes: Web site maintenance 72 PRSIPPL 144 Covid PPE 299

Balanc• sheet at 31•t March 2021 Current Ass•ts Cash at bank 55.537.78 Cash in hand 5.66 Nat current assots £55,543.44