CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examinerfs report on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
R8POrt to the tru$toe•l
members of
Lower Hardres and NaCkIng￿ Village Hail Commiitee
On accounts for the y•ar
•ndod
31. March. 2022
Charlty no
(If any)
28￿1
I report lo the tru8tees <)n my eXaMinat￿n of the accounts of the above
charity Trusn for tr* year ended 31° Marth, 2022
Respon8lblltlM and
basis of rnport
As chantys Irust888, you are re8kY)rnible for the fvyeparatm of the
accounts in accordance ￿ the wuiremerts ol the Charities A(a 2011 fthe
I report in resped of my examination of the Tru8t'8 accounts carried oul
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have
folli)bNpd all the applicable Directs'ons given by the Chanty Commission under
8ectton 1495){b) of the Act.
Ind•pendont I have comwed my examinats'on. I Carf￿ that no material matteT5 have
oxamlMrf8 statement come lo my attention in conn8ction with the examination %4thich gives me
cause to believe that the accounts comply wlth the applicable requirements
conceming the fonn and content of aC￿Unts set out in th8 Charities
(Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2(X)8 other than any requirement that
the accounts give a Irue and fairf ¥1￿￿ which Is not a matter considered as
part of an independent examination.
I have no COn￿mS and have come a(xoss no matters in connection wth
examinab'on to *thich attention shoukl be drawn in this report in order
to enable a ￿0per wthrstanding of the accounts to be reached.
Slgn•d:
1V May. 2022
Addr￿.
North CW. Cantkny Ro￿. Lymiryje. Folke5tone. Kent TN29 9UQ

onB
Disclosure
Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight material matters of cOn￿M
{see CC32, Independent examinatK)n of d)anty accounts.. directions and
guidance for examiners).
Give here brief details of
any items that the
examiner wishes to
dlsclo8e.

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Lower Hardres and Nackington Vlllage Hall Committee
st
Accounts for year ended 31 Marth 2022
Trustees Annual Report
The trustees herewith present their annual report for the year ended 31 March 2022.
Registered Charlty Number
280691
Trustees/Committee Mombers
All committee members are trustees. The committee members who held office durin8 the year are
as follow5:
Graham Brown
Chairman
Sean 8one-Knell
Vice Chaiman
Barbara Jane Grundy Secretary
Brfan Moore
Treasurer
Mick Wadey
Caretaker
Adrian Beaumont
CommEttee Member
Hazel Darkin
Committee Member {retired May 20211
Committee Member
Bob Thomas
Strurture* govemance. and management
The Association has been set up under a deed of trust dated 14 March 1980, amended by Order of
the Charity Commissioners dated 8 February 1996. as a trust mana8ed by the Committee who have
the authority to appoint the trustees. All committee members are ￿qUired to retire each year and
offer themsefves for re*lection if they so choose at the Annual General Meetin8 IAGMI. The re-
election clause does not apply to the position of chairman. Elections are undertaken by a quorum of
committee member5 in general meeting. A quorum comprises two-thirds of committee members.
A maximum often committee members is pennltted at any one time. In order that the committee can
fulfil its objectives it is empowered to Co-opt new members as needs be.
Oblectives of the Charlty
The Charitfs objectNes, as set out in the Governing Document, are to maintaln a village hall for the
use of the inhabitants of the parish and the wider neighbourhood, without distinction of political,
religlous, or other opinions. including use for meetings, lectures, cla$5es, and recreation. with the
object of improvin8 the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
We exist to maintain and improve a modem purpos&built villa8e hall in the parish of Lower Hardres
and Nackington. This is available for use by the local and wider community for social events,
entertalnment. education, and exercise.

Financlal Review and Projecolons
Our finances looked very healthy near the end of the 201912020 financial year and revenue was
buoyant with an annual income of £26.270. At this time we were discussin8 plans to build a small
storage extension and to upgrade the toilets.
However. the Coronavirus outbreak. and subsequent Govemment restrittions, p)sed an immediate
threat to our financial security. Consequently all thoughts of major expenditure were shefved. Indeed,
during the 202012021 financial year we endured a rash of cancelled bookin8s and our total income
dropped to £4,450. Fortunatety. we were able to contain our routine costs to £11,865, compared with
£22,447 In the previous year. But it was unexpected Government largesse. in the form of small
business grants totallin8 £20.193, that massively rescued our fortunes. Indeed, we ended the
202012021 financial year with total cash assets of £62,269, an Increase of £11,841 on the previous
vearl
Against this backdrop we began the 202112022 financial yearwlth considerabty 8￿ater optimlsm than
the year before. Nevertheless, l)ookings were initially sluggish and dldn't Si8nificantly pick up until
mld-summer. Even so, the Omicron threat later in the year introduced a small hiatus. with at least one
cancellatlon as late as January 2022. Thus we have not benefited from a full yearfs activity, with
Income from all hlres totalling only £15.338.
We did recelve a welcome rebate of £2.234 from our water companies following our complalnt that
we had been billed on the wron8 meter Sin￿ September 2019.
However, once a8aln, it was Government large55e whkh primarily helped us out wlth 8rants totallin8
£20,667. Only £2.667 of this (the so-called Omicron Grantl came unencumbered. however. The
remaining grant awards came with strin85 attached. The Covid Safe-space Grant I£IO,IXQI was
contingent on us creating a safe space for our artivities and V￿ used this money to create a soft-
surface outdoor faiT-weather space at the rear of the building. IThere was a £2.6C(J overspend on thls
projert, ftnanced from our own funds). Additionalty we received an £8,(DJ"Covid Recoverf grant, in
order to encourage people to return to their previous wciable ways after the pandemlc. We are using
this money to help finance actNitles in the local community. A social sub-committee under our vlce-
chairman has so far organised a hog roast and a carol tonce¢ and detailed plans for a Platinum Jubllee
party are under way. £5,580 of the Covid Recovery grant remains, with £2,CKX) ear-marked for the
Platlnum Jubilee event. We will also make a small sum availabfe to the Gardeners. Societyto undertake
some colourful planting along our roadsKle verges.
It is to be hoped that these activities wlll indeed help re-lnvigorate the local communlty and that there
might be some reciprocation in due course. We may need new clubs or societies to repla￿ those that
have since lapsed, orwilling volunteers to help with p055ible future fund-raising events. and we would
hope that many in the parish will see the hall as an attractive social venue.
On the other side of the balance sheet our routine costs have risen to nearly £20,CMXJ, almost back to
pre-pandemlc levels. Moreover. there are significant inflationary pressures looming, for example our
electrlcity tariffs have recently doubled. Our challenge for the 202212023 financial year will be to
sustain the hall as an attractive venue for hirers, whilst constrnining our routine costs as much as Is
Possible.
We ended the year with £29.880 in the United Trust Bank IUTBI paylng a dismal 0.8% interest per
annum. The bulk of ourcurrent account funds1£32.639) are now in an internet bank account with Nat

West. Our old Uoyds cheque-book account is now largely dormant. although thi5 remalns as a
repository for our Covid Recovery Grant and has a balance of E6.076. Thus we ended the year with
total cash assets of £68,595, an increase of £6,326 on the previous year.
Fundlng Strate8y
Our underlying objectfve has been to maintain the hall as an attractive venue for hirers, and that still
remain5. despite the changing etonomic circumstsnces.
Our broad strategy had been to grow our fvnds by genefating a small operatlng surplu5 each year. In
this way we anticipated being able to undertake major ￿fUrb1shMents on an approximately ten-year
cycle, whilst undertaking minor improvements to the hall on an odhLX basis. We envisaged a Reserves
Strategy that would en5￿￿ that we always had sufficient funds to undertake major and minor
refurbishments on a regular basis. We felt that we should maintsin a minimum reserve of atrK)ut
£30.OCX), which would serve as a suitable foundation for regular saving in order to grow our fund5 for
periodic judicious spendin8. And, whilst always remaining Strongly 501vent, we could make our hire
harges competitive whilst acknowledging the need to increase them periodically in order to sustain
an operatin8 surplus. We therefore saw ourselves as financially stoble and fully self-funded.
It has not thus far been part of our strategy to seek grants or funding from third-party sources.
However, The Covid Small Business Grants have rather shifted our perspective in thls regard, and it
may be wise to continue to seek extemal fundlng when opportune to do so.
mO￿ver. wsth inflatlon surging towards IO% there Seems to be little wisdom In Just 51tting on our
money. Addltlonally, buildin8 Costs are risSn& and there may be some imperative to spend now rather
than later.
However, we have competlng demands on our funds and, as a commlttee, we have not yet formally
prioritlsed these. The much-desired stora8e extension could cost over £20,(Jxi and estlmates for a
toilet refurbishment are around £18.CKXI. We note the need to maintain our trees on the site.
especially where these a￿ adlacent to nel8hbouring properties and the highway. Estimated
arboriculture costs are around £5,CK(l. There has also been a proposal to improve the acoustics in the
hall, at a cost of around £lO.CKh).
The Committee is now in the p051tion of having to re-define it5 funding and spending strategy, as well
as its reserves strategy. in the face of competing demands for project fundin& rapid cost inflation,
miserable returns on savings. We anticipate refining ourthlnking on all these fronts during 202212023.
We will also need to examine the availability of extemal grants. and perhaps also the necessity for
local fund raising. There are many moving parts, but the CommFttee Intend to reconcile all these with
due consideration and judgement during the next financial year.
Insurance
The Committee recognise that it us under a legal obligation to protett the building and its users
through adequate and appropriate insurance.
In April we obtained a Buildings Valuation Report from our insurers {Allied Westminster) which Is
indexed-linked and valid for a further five years. We have thus insured the building for £651.(MX), as
advised, for a mere £11 increase in premium..
We increased our Contents insurance from £7,5CKI to £15.CKKJ during 201912020 but may need to
revisit this. Substantial public liability insurance is also in place, as is trustee indemnity insurance.

During 201912020 we took out cover of £50.(￿1 over 24 months for loss of income resulting from
theft, or damage to the fabric of the hall. Our insurers did not offercover for the wholly unanticipated
Coronavirus shutdown.
To comply wwth the insurers requirements whilst the hall has been out of use during lockdown. we
have ensured that our caretaker regularty inspects ihe p￿MIses. and our cleaner. likewise. makes
regular weekw visits.
Our continued compliance with the temis of our Insuran￿ requires that
Portable electrical applIan￿5 are tested by qualified personnel anftua1￿.
The mains electrical installation is checked by a qualified engineer every five years.
A Fire Safety Risk Assessment Is updated annually by the Committee.
Fire-fightin8 appliance5 are insperted annually under contract with the supplier.
Our Risk Assessments are reviewed independently and updated.
We operate a Covid-secure environment.
We notffy hirers of our Covid rlsk assessmen
Records and documentation are retained by the Secretsry.
Hlrlng
Use of the hall is subject to a GDPR-compllant Hiring Agreement which must be signed by the hirer
when bookin8. The hall has a Premises Licence, which dictstes the hours the hall can be used, and is
licensed bythe Performing Rights Society for live and ￿Orded muslc. We have a licence to sell alcohol
within the hall which ￿qUireS the hirers. ortheir nominees. to take forrnal responslbility foradherence
to the temis of the licence. Any variation in conditions le.g. to sell alcohol in the 8roundsl ￿qUireS the
hirer to apply to Canterbury City Council for a Temporary Events Notice.
We Increased our hire charges from September 2018. This was Intended to ensure that our income
exceeded expenditure and that we could grow our funds for the future whi15t still remaining
competitlve. To remain artive and profitable we hope to See a sustained recovery in bookings durin8
202212023.
Whenever mandated by Government policy we have notified all potential hirers of our Covid safety
practices and have supplled our Covid risk assessments as needs be. Hopefully. the necessity for this
will fade as we"learn to live with Covid".
Use of the Hall is promoted via a website Iwww.loWerhard￿$¥IIIaBehaIj.org) and via od hoc notices on
parish notlceboards and in the parish magazine.
Polkies and Procedures
To guide the Management Commlttee in exercising its duty of Ca￿ to members the following policy
statements have been adopted
Health and Safety Policy
Covid Safety Policies and Risk Assessments
GDPR policles and PrO￿dUreS
Financial Policy
Child Protection Policy
Vulnerable Adults Policy

Lone Worker Pollcy
Fire Safety Policy
Risk Assessment and Safety ReV￿W Policy
First Aid Policy
Coples of these policies are rnaintained with the SecTetary. The GDPR policie5 appear on our website.
Acknowledgements
The committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all its members and volunteers for all their
hard work durlng the year. Similarly, wish to thank our regular and occaslonal hirers for their
continuing support. We hope that we can ￿tUrn to nornial busine55 durfng 202V2023 once the
spertre of Covid has fvlty receded.
De¢larntlon
The trustees declare that they have approved the report above.
Slgned on behalf of the charitls trustees
Sl8nature".
8nature:
Full name:
Full name:
Position:
Posrtion:
7vK4e
Date: