Blewbury Village Hall Executive Management Committee
Report of the Chairman of Trustees and Audited Accounts for the Financial Year Ending 30[th ] September 2021
Operations
The 2020/21 financial year saw the completion of much of the outstanding refurbishment work and some additional improvement work to resurface the car park, coupled with extensive periods of closure, or restricted operations, owing to covid restrictions.
Practical completion of the Hall refurbishment took place in the 2019/20 FY. The work done in 2020/21 was to fix the long list of snags from the main refurbishment project, improve the Hall grounds by resurfacing much of the car park, and to rectify other issues that came to light in operational conditions. There are still a few minor issues to be fixed and a final bill from the main contractors is yet to be received. General reaction to the refurbishment from Hall users and the community as a whole has been extremely positive and the Hall management team and the refurbishment project team are very appreciative of the community’s support and feedback.
Reopening of the Hall after covid closure was gradual and it was not until the Autumn 2021 that anything like the full range of activities was possible, with appropriate covid security. Even then some clubs and societies chose not to return to indoor activities. However, most activities that used the Hall before the covid pandemic have now returned, plus some new activities, and bookings are looking healthy again.
A new online booking system was introduced early in 2021. This has now bedded in well. A new pricing structure for the hire of facilities at the Hall was introduced at the same time to reflect the improved amenity, rising operating costs and pricing in similar community buildings in the area.
Since the end of the financial year a considerable additional amount of work has taken place to further improve the appearance of the car park and surrounding verges and hedges. Thanks to John Ogden, Sustainable Blewbury and other volunteers for their all their hard work.
Governance
At the 2021 AGM agreement was reached to request a change to the objects of the Blewbury Village Hall charity to enable the management committee and operational staff to perform some management duties for the Clubhouse, which is administered by the Parish Council. A request was put to the Charity Commission, but this was rejected. Discussions are ongoing between the VHMC, PC, Charity Commission, ACRE and OALC on the best way forward to achieve the objective of rationalising management of the two community facilities.
Management and Staff
Changes to the structure of the management committee were agreed at the 2021 AGM, but have still to be fully implemented. The VHMC has been reduced in number to the eight Trustees to provide a more compact management team, but the advisory body of user representatives is still to be set up. Long term trustees, Jean White and Liz Sweet stood down at the 2021 AGM and Dermot Mathias and Karen Forman were appointed in their place. Sadly another Trustee, Chris Lakeland, passed away in October 2021 leaving a further vacancy on the management committee (VHMC). This vacancy was filled when Lydia Inglis was appointed as a new PC nominated Trustee at the VHMC meeting held on 2[nd] November 2021. The eight Trustees that comprise the VHMC are:
Bruce Gibson (Chairman); John Ogden (Vice Chairman); Meirion James (Financial Officer); Dermot Mathias and Lydia Inglis (PC nominations); Roger Murphy, Tony Salter and Karen Forman.
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Bruce Gibson and Meirion James have both given notice that they will be standing down as Trustees at, or before, the 2023 AGM. The positions of Chairman and Financial Officer will need to be filled and the transition managed. Tony Salter has indicated his willingness to take over the responsibility of Financial Officer.
The Village Hall now employs just one temporary member of staff, Jayne Newman, who is our cleaner. Karen Forman resigned as booking coordinator in May 2021 and she has since taken up a voluntary role as a Trustee. Elaine de Ridder undertook the admin role on a temporary basis to oversee the task of getting the Hall reopened after covid closures. That role was then redefined and a permanent part time facilities administrator, Evi Holroyd, was appointed by the PC to cover administration tasks for both the Clubhouse and the Village Hall.
The Chairman would like to thank all staff, Trustees, committee members and other volunteers, past and present, who have helped to steer the Village Hall through a difficult period.
Financial
As with the previous financial year, accounts for FYE 30[th] September 2021, were highly distorted by the Hall refurbishment project and by covid19 restrictions and grants. Total Income for the year was £17,105 and Total Expenditure £17,906, giving a small deficit for the year of £801.
During the 2020/21 financial year Blewbury Village Hall received a further covid business support grant from Vale of White Horse DC, to cover shortfall in revenue owing to covid closures and restrictions.
A copy of the audited accounts for the financial year ending 30[th ] September 2021 is included in this report as Annex A, together with the Financial Officer’s report.
Moving Forward
Priorities for the VHMC for the immediate term are:
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Resolve the issues associated with the management of the clubhouse.
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Along with the refurbishment Project Manager, get completion of the outstanding snagging items from the refurbishment and settlement of the final invoices. Without this we cannot move forward with the further facility improvement expenditure that was planned.
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Complete the restructuring of the management team as agreed at the previous AGM – building a core management team of Trustees, each with specific areas of management responsibility and setting up a separate user advisory body.
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Produce a new business plan, as the events of the last two years have made the previous plan obsolete. This should include attracting new groups of users, provision for additional storage, further improvement of the grounds, provision for ongoing maintenance (Internal and external), setting up more appropriate marketing and customer communication channels.
Items 2,3 and 4 are to some extent dependent on the outcome of item 1 and the requirements of the solution adopted. However, work on them needs to start promptly as a swift resolution of item 1 is unlikely.
A B Gibson
Chairman, Blewbury Village Hall Executive Management Committee, May 2022
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Annex A – Audited Accounts and Financial Officer’s Report FYE 30[th] September 2021
BLEWBURY VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2021
| Year to | Year to | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.09.21 | 30.09.20 | |||
| Receipts | £ | £ | ||
| Lettings | 3023.50 | 3961.00 | ||
| Surgery rent | 0.00 | 2000.00 | ||
| School rent | 0.00 | 1104.40 | ||
| Electricity meters | 0.00 | 280.00 | ||
| P.O. rent | 1200.00 | 1200.00 | ||
| B.Soc interest | 644.73 | 1153.49 | ||
| Covid Grant | 9907.00 | 10000.00 | ||
| Donation | 2250.00 | 0.00 | ||
| Sale of Equip | 80.00 | 0.00 | ||
| Total Receipts | £17,105.23 | 19698.89 | ||
| Payments | ||||
| Bookings clerk | 602.77 | 750.00 | ||
| Cleaning staff | 2377.00 | 2160.00 | ||
| Administrator | 1808.23 | 56.23 | ||
| Cleaning materials | 70.68 | 15.54 | ||
| Electricity & water | 3065.98 | 2306.06 | ||
| Insurance | 2404.60 | 2577.30 | ||
| Telephone (mobile) | 124.99 | 0.00 | ||
| Repairs & maintenance | 699.59 | 1796.54 | ||
| New Equipment | 1470.76 | 2159.88 | ||
| Refuse collection | 639.12 | 912.00 | ||
| Performing rights | 131.04 | 377.56 | ||
| Office exps & misc | 80.00 | 204.50 | ||
| Telephone (Broadband) | 460.80 | 72.13 | ||
| Covid related costs | 638.64 | 0.00 | ||
| Re-Opening ceremony | 809.30 | 0.00 | ||
| Licence fee | 2250.00 | 0.00 | ||
| Subscriptions | 273.40 | 0.00 | ||
| Total Payments | £17,906.90 | £13,387.74 | ||
| Net Income/ (Expend) for the period | -£801.67 | £6,311.15 | ||
| Refurbishment Income (Donations and | Grants) | £7,907.04 | £74,862.74 | |
| Refurbishment Expenditure | £46,044.46 | £149,376.02 | ||
| Cash Resources at 30.09.21 | 2021 | 2020 | ||
| Hall | Refurb | |||
| Bank- Main Acount | 16929.28 | 0 | 16929.28 | 19132.46 |
| Bank -Refurb Account | 0 | 1924.30 | 1924.30 | 39304.94 |
| Building Society | 24077.15 | 0 | 24077.15 | 23432.42 |
| Cash in hand | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 |
| £42,930.73 | £81,869.82 |
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BLEWBURY VILLAGE HALL EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR EPIDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2021 I have examined the attached Financial Statement for BLEWBURY VILLAGE HALL EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMirrEE covering the Year ended 30 September 2021 and I can confirm thot this is fully in accordance with the supporting documentation provided to me. I can confirm that the Excess of Expenditure over Income for the Period stated at £801.67 is correctly calculated. as is Refurbishment Income totalling £7.907.04 and Refurbishment Expenditure totalling £46,044.46. Et- R.B.Hull Chartered Accountant IRetiredl Readin& Berks 20 March 2022 Blewbury VAlluge Flull May2022
FINANCIAL OFFICER’S REPORT COVERING YEAR ENDING 30 SEPTEMBER 2021
AGM 27.04.2022
INCOME
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Due to ongoing covid restrictions, there were no activities in the Hall until May 2021 and no surgery usage for the entire year.
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Decrease in operating receipts has been partly compensated by the covid grant of £9907 such that Total Income was only down from £19698 to £17105.
EXPENDITURE
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Total Expenditure for the year increased from £13387 to £17906, of which £2250 related to the payment for the licence fee to allow the Hall to be registered as a wedding venue.
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In addition, one-off expenditure £809 was incurred on the formal re-opening ceremony following the refurbishment.
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Other expenditure broadly in line with previous year apart from a full year’s cost of an Administrator at £1808 for the year
NET INCOME
- The combination of lower income and increased expenditure gave rise to a small deficit for the year amounting to £801
REFURBISHMENT
- During the year, donations and grants received amounted to £7907 and refurbishment expenditure of £46044 was incurred. As at 30 September 2021, there were still uncertain amounts due in grants and the final contractor’s bill was still to be received.
CASH RESOURCES AS AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2021
- Excluding the small balance on the refurbishment fund. which will be needed to cover outstanding costs, the Hall financial resources at 30 September 2021 stood at £41,006.
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