MERESIDE VILLAGE ASSOCIATION
Registered Charity Number 281945
Registered Charity No. 281945
Trustees’ Annual Report for the Mereside Village Association
1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023
Ramsey Mereside Village Hall
Drovers Close
Ramsey Mereside PE26 2UH
Trustees
John Mitchell (Chairman) Steve Davis (Vice Chairman) Gill Mitchell (Secretary) Michael Stitson (Treasurer) Kathy Addy Susan Walker John Chrisp (Hall Bookings/ President) Barbara Davis Corinne Campbell Wendy Ansell (Newsletter Editor) Carole Gudgion
The Mereside Village Association is an Unincorporated Association governed by its Trust Deed, dated 15[th] October 1980.
“The objects of the [Mereside Village] Association are to collect sums of money for the purpose of providing a playing field and facilities ancillary thereto and a Village Hall for the use of the inhabitants of the village of Mereside in the parish of Ramsey and the neighbourhood in the county of Cambridgeshire, without distinction of sex or of political, religious or other opinions, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants in the interests of social welfare and to manage, administer and maintain the said playing field and Village Hall.”
Association details
Bank account TSB Bank, Sort Code 77-72-18, a/c no 15691268 Independent examiner Yvonne Goodman Insurance Allied Westminster - Village Guard
Conversion to a CIO
As part of the Hallmark process the Mereside Village Association (MVA) is being converted into a Charitable Incorporated Organisation; the final part of the process is the resolution presented at this meeting. This process has been overseen by Cambridgeshire ACRE. The trustees have given full regard to s121(2) of the Charities Act 2011 to give public notice and take into consideration any representation, which was done on 1[st] September 2022. Following discussion with ACRE a successful application was made to the Charity Commission on 8[th] February 2023. The Ramsey Mereside Village Hall CIO (RMVH) has the same objectives (although the text includes more modern wording regarding
inclusion) and area of benefit as the MVA. The new governing document means that some of the processes are more up-to-date such as the nomination procedure and the structure of the committee. The MVA and the CIO will continue to exist in parallel for a year, but the CIO will now manage, administer and maintain the playing field and facilities and an application will be made to the Charity Commission to close the MVA.
2023 Achievements
The trustees obtained a substantial grant of £16,766.23 from the Glassmoor Bank Windfarm for the UK sourced and remanufactured materials to construct the large, decked area to the rear of the hall which has proved to be very popular with the hall’s users.
The trustees are delighted that some of the villagers came together and re-introduced the Strawberry Fayre. As the trustees are well aware, it requires a lot of hard work to put on such a successful large outdoor event and the efforts of these villagers is much appreciated by the trustees and by Ramsey Mereside. The object of the 2023 Strawberry was to purchase a set of outdoor furniture to be used on the deck in the warmer months. The 10 outdoor tables and matching 40 chairs have proved to be a thoughtful and useful purchase to add to the hall’s facilities.
The children’s play area has been refurbished more than once this year making sure that the structures continue to be safe for children to use. The nylon net for the MUGA has also been replaced with a brand new one as well as the supports both on the frame of the goal and in the ground. The backboard to the basketball hoop has also been refurbished by the “Shed Men”.
The trustees are pleased to report that there have been no serious incidents that require reporting to the Charity Commission. The association raised funds from the public but without the help of professional fundraisers although there is an agreement with the Drovers Rest that gifts their profit to the MVA at the end of their financial year, 31[st] May each year. The MVA has not made any grants this year and has not entered into any contracts with local or central government. The trustees have received no grants from local or central government or received any income from outside the UK. The association operates in England and has no subsidiaries. None of the trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity other than refunds of legitimate trustee expenses. The three employee’s wages amounted to £4,144 and there were 10 volunteers who provided regular help to the trustees. The trustees reviewed all policies including those on financial controls and safeguarding during the year.
Hall hire
When you read the accounts you will notice that the income from hall hire has reached over £11,000 which is not only a record for the hall but shows how often the hall is being used for MVA events (which are usually sold out) as well as a wide range of celebratory events for villagers.
The “Shed Men”
The small band of handymen have continued their good work throughout the year, generally meeting on a Wednesday morning:
-
The ramps and handrails for the deck have been completed along with the new paving near the new container.
-
Trees have been pruned in some cases and the canopies raised in others.
-
Minor gardening works such as removing all of the brambles from the fences as well as weeding and repairs to structures in the nature garden.
-
Improving the fire safety of the solar battery installation.
-
Ensuring that the heating pasteurisation process was taking place as it should – which it is.
-
Minor plumbing work in the ladies toilets and in the bar.
-
Repairing the back panel of the basketball hoop on the MUGA using recycled material.
-
Where high quality certified work was required the MVA has employed external contractors:
-
Greenscape repaired issues with the heat pump and resolved problems with the solar inverters.
Reserves Policy
The MVA has sufficient resources in the bank as unrestricted reserves at the year end. These reserves are available for unforeseen expenditure in relation to building maintenance or urgent furniture or equipment replacement. It is the Trustees’ policy to maintain unrestricted reserves[1] of between 150% and 200% of annual revenue budget expenditure.
There are currently no restricted funds for maintenance in hand although a number of important maintenance and safety activities are planned for the next year.
Defibrillators
The MVA led the fund raising to purchase the three defibrillators in the village. The case to the one by HD Engineering was damaged and the MVA replaced it. A villager regularly checks them and passes the information to “The Circuit” which is the national database of defibrillators used by the NHS. Currently, each of the 14 ambulance services across the UK have their own defibrillator database for their area. The Circuit brings this information together into one database. As defibrillators are registered on The Circuit, their location and status is instantly synchronised with the emergency services’ systems ensuring that their information is always up to date and ready to help save lives.
…and finally
The Drovers Rest is also setting records year on year and the trustees wish to express their thanks to all of the many hard working volunteer bar staff who have appeared behind the bar this year.
Future Plans
The committee wishes to build on the existing success of the hall and use Hallmark process to ensure the continued development of the hall, the health and safety of its users, security and licenses.
Other than the day-to-day maintenance, the committee has identified the following maintenance and safety related projects:
1 The trustees are responsible for the maintenance of the village hall and from time to time this involves major works far in excess of cash reserves held. On identifying such major works, fundraising is undertaken with the object of meeting the costs in full (i.e. without needing a loan). Such funds would be restricted.
-
Modernisation of the electrical wiring and emergency lighting to be compliant with new codes of practice.
-
Re-installation of the benches that were moved to make way for the new decking.
-
New “green” car parking and provision of more space for disabled parking.
-
Paving the area in front of the new container to improve access.
-
Improved lighting for the stage and dance floor.
-
Complete the fascia of the deck.
-
Arrange for the construction of a green car park and additional disabled parking.
-
Provide additional solar lighting to the car park and paths.
-
Providing timed solar lighting on the MUGA.
-
Develop the proposal to add a new changing room extension in conjunction with Sport England.
I wish to thank the committee and all the other volunteers for their cheerful contributions to the running of the hall and for their support for the various events and activities that are run at the hall.
John Mitchell,
Chair 16[th] March 2024.
MERESIDE VILLAGE ASSOCIATION
Registered Charity Number 281945
Financial Statement - Year Ending 31st December 2023
| Opening Funds 1st January 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Investments | £16,261 |
| Bank TSB | £17,713 |
| Cash in hand | £1,821 |
| £35,795 | |
| Closing Funds 31st December 2023 | |
| Investments | £17,831 |
| Bank TSB | £33,021 |
| Cash in hand | £2,132 |
| £52,983 | |
| Nett Movement in Year | £17,188 |
| Income | |
| As per page 5 | £57,285 |
| Expenditure | |
| As per page 6 | £40,097 |
| Income Over Expenditure | £17,188 |
| Common Investment Fund (COIF) Accounts Year Ending 31st | December 2023 |
| COIF DEPOIST ACCOUNT - 977640001C | |
| Balance b/f as at 1/1/23 | £13,122.16 |
| Dividend from Investment Fund | £688.77 |
| Interest | £587.76 |
| Closing Balance as at 31/12/23 | £14,398.69 |
| COIF INVESTMENT FUND - 977640001T | |
| Balance b/f as at 1/1/23 (172.95 units @1814.93 per unit) | £3,138.92 |
| Closing Balance as at 31/12/23 (172.95 units @1984.50 per unit) | £3,432.19 |
| Total COIF Balances as at 31/12/23 | £17,830.88 |
MERESIDE VILLAGE ASSOCIATION
Registered Charity Number 281945
Receipts and Payments Year Ending 31st December 2023
| Receipts | COIF | Cash | Bank | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adverts | £20.00 | £418.00 | £438.00 | |
| Bingo | £1,039.13 | £1,039.13 | ||
| Donations To Gift a/c | £211.00 | £10,279.18 | £10,490.18 | |
| Grants2 | £16,766.23 | £16,766.23 | ||
| Hall Hire | £956.10 | £10,576.00 | £11,532.10 | |
| Event | £5,390.94 | £5,390.94 | ||
| Loan Drovers Rest | £375.00 | £375.00 | ||
| Misc | £86.00 | £72.00 | £158.00 | |
| Cash Discrepancy (Over) | £93.55 | £93.55 | ||
| Rent Drovers Rest | £3,600.00 | £3,600.00 | ||
| Cash To Bank | £5,832.00 | £5,832.00 | ||
| Bank Interest | £587.76 | £587.76 | ||
| Dividend from Investment Fund | £688.77 | £688.77 | ||
| Revaluation of COIF Units | £293.27 | £293.27 | ||
| £1,569.80 | £7,796.72 | £47,918.41 | £57,284.93 |
2 This is the grant from the Glassmoor Bank Windfarm that paid for the materials for the new decking.
MERESIDE VILLAGE ASSOCIATION
Registered Charity Number 281945
| Payments | COIF | Cash | Bank | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank Charges | £0.00 | |||
| Bingo | £830.00 | £830.00 | ||
| Electricity | £716.19 | £716.19 | ||
| Entertainment | £84.00 | £84.00 | ||
| Handyman | £904.00 | £904.00 | ||
| Wages | £100.00 | £2,869.00 | £2,969.00 | |
| HMRC | £271.00 | £271.00 | ||
| Insurance | £1,687.27 | £1,687.27 | ||
| Licences | £674.82 | £674.82 | ||
| Maintenance | £3,319.09 | £3,319.09 | ||
| Meresider Printing | £1,608.00 | £1,608.00 | ||
| Misc | £523.00 | £2,998.84 | £3,521.84 | |
| Phone & Broadband | £493.84 | £493.84 | ||
| Purchases For Hall | £70.79 | £1,484.28 | £1,555.07 | |
| Construction of the deck | £11,625.67 | £11,625.67 | ||
| Repayment of Nature Garden Grant | £2,592.84 | £2,592.84 | ||
| Rates | £509.26 | £509.26 | ||
| Rubbish Collection | £613.84 | £613.84 | ||
| TV Licence | £159.00 | £159.00 | ||
| Window Cleaning | £130.00 | £130.00 | ||
| To Bank | £5,832.00 | £5,832.00 | ||
| TOTAL | £0.00 | £7,485.79 | £32,610.94 | £40,096.73 |
| Receipt over Payments | £1,569.80 | £310.93 | £15,307.47 | £17,188.20 |