Blewbury Village Hall Executive Management Committee
Report of the Chairman of Trustees and Audited Accounts for the Financial Year Ending 30[th] September 2020
Operations
The 2019/20 financial year was an extremely unusual year, the circumstances of which will hopefully never be repeated.
The year started well. Q1 was an exceptional trading period with a number of successful fund-raising events to increase the money available for the imminent refurbishment of the Hall. However, quarters 2, 3 and 4 saw very little trading owing to closure for refurbishment work and Covid19 security. The Post Office, which is housed in a stand-alone part of the building, was able to stay open for most of this period as a provider of essential services. However, the main building remained closed for the rest of the financial year.
Although the building is open again, the range of activities permitted under covid19 restrictions is still greatly reduced and many clubs and societies are not looking to return to the Hall until September 2021. This will have a severe negative impact on income from lettings for the current financial year.
In order to continue Blewbury Village Hall business under covid19 restrictions the Trustees approved a number of changes to the normal methods of management committee operation at a special “virtual” Trustees meeting dated 2[nd] May 2020. The main changes were:
-
1) To suspend the obligation to hold an AGM in January or February of each year for the year 2020.
-
2) To hold the next AGM as soon as possible after the reopening of Blewbury Village Hall to the public following the completion of renovation work and the lifting of restrictions on public meetings.
-
3) Existing Trustees, Officers and Committee Members to continue in place until the composition of the management committee can be reviewed at an AGM.
-
4) Until the lifting of restrictions on public meetings and such time as face-to-face business meetings can be safely conducted, VHMC business to be conducted by email and, if considered appropriate, an agreed on-line meeting platform.
These changes to normal working practice were extended under a further mandate from the Trustees at a Zoom meeting of 30[th] April 2021, which also included the approval of the accounts for the financial year ending 30[th] September 2020.
Financial
A copy of the audited accounts for the financial year ending 30[th] September 2020 is included in this report as Appendix A.
Compared with previous years the financial statement is highly distorted by exceptional events – Hall refurbishment fundraising, refurbishment grants, refurbishment closure, covid19 closure, additional expenditure to ensure covid19 safety compliance, covid19 business continuity grants.
Lettings for the whole year were £3,961, down from £9,007 in the previous year owing to extensive periods of closure. Rental income was also reduced to £4,304 from £6,240 the previous year, with only the Post Office paying anything like a full year rent. Total receipts excluding business support grants related to covid19 closure and restrictions of were £9,699, down from £16,020 in the previous financial year. The receipt of a business support grant for £10,000 during the financial year makes total receipts look healthy, but hides the real situation. Blewbury Village Hall continues to draw on the business support grant monies into the current financial year.
Outgoings for the financial year were less than the previous year, but only because of the one-off match funding payment of £8,062 in the previous year. Like for like expenditure was in fact around £3K more than in the same period last year, mainly because of increased spending on new equipment and maintenance services, not covered by the refurbishment project.
Funds raised for the hall refurbishment and paid into the refurbishment account during the year totalled £74,862.74, up from £23,359.55 in the previous year, as money was drawn down from grants awarded for the refurbishment project. Refurbishment expenditure during the financial year totalled £149,376.
Moving Forward
There are a number of challenges going forward, but the Management Committee is confident that when covid19 restrictions are lifted, most previous revenue streams can be re-established and new revenue streams added. This is underpinned by a newly refurbished Village Hall with greatly improved heating, lighting, insulation, and ventilation, which will enable more efficient operation for the management and a more attractive venue for users. The move to an online booking and invoicing system will also make booking the facility easier for a wider range of users.
A B Gibson
Chairman, Blewbury Village Hall Executive Management Committee
June 2021
Appendix A BLEWBURY VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 Year to 30.09.20 Year to 30.09.19 Receipts Lettings Surgery nt School rent Electricity meters P.0. rent B.Soc interest Covid Grant 3961.00 210. 1104.40 280.(X) 1200.(X) 1153.49 lOL.(M) 9007.25 4(KK>. 1040.30 420. 12W. 352.10 otal Receipts £19.698.89 £16,019.65 Payments Bookings clerk Cleaning staff Window & carpet cleaning Cleaning materials Electricity & water Insurance Repairs & maintenante New Equipment Refuse collection Performing rights Office exps & misc Telephone FCC Environment 750.(X> 750.CKJ 2160.CKJ 102.CM) 20.(M) 2236.25 2440.67 1237.19 2160. 56.23 15.54 2306.06 2577.30 1796.54 2159.88 912.00 377.56 913.89 377.56 32.46 Z04.50 72.13 8062.50 Total Payments £13.387.74 £18,332.52 Nèt Incomel (Expend) for the period £6.311.15 -£2,312.87 Refurblshment Intome (Oonations and Grants) Refurbishment Expenditure £74.862.74 £149.375.02 £23,359.55 £0.00 Cash Resources at 30.09.20 2020 2019 Hall 19132.46 o.C(1 39304.94 23432.42 Refurb Bank- Main Acount Bank-Refurb Atcount Building Society Cash in hand 19132.46 39304.94 23432.42 14487.27 43799.20 91687.02 98.46 E42.564.88 £39.304.94 £81.869.82 £150.071.95
BLEWBURY VILLAGE HALL EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMtrtÉE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT ON THE FINANaAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 I have examined the attached Financial Statement for BLEWBURY VILLAGE HALL EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMIThEE covering the Year ended 30 September 2020 and I can confim that this is fully in accordance with the supporting documentation provided to me. I can conflrm that the Net Income for the Perk)d stated at £6,311.15 is correctly calculated as is Refvrbishment Income totalling £74.862.74 and Refurbishment Expenditure totslling £149,376.02. R.B.Hull Chartered Accountant IRetiredl Reading. Berks 26 April 2021