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2023-12-31-accounts

Chichester Youth Adventure Trust

Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31[st] December 2023

The Trust owns and manages the Tyle Morgrug Cottage and Bunkhouse, Halt Road, Rhigos, Aberdare, South Wales www.cyat.org Registered Charity No. 288717

Chichester Youth Adventure Trust

Annual Report and Accounts For the year ended 31[st] December 2023

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Public Benefit Declaration 2
Report of the Trustees:
Chair’s report, including Founders prattles 2
Honorary Treasurer’s report 6
Building Maintenance, fabric, furnishing and fittings 8
Outdoor maintenance 8
Bookings 2023 10
All Things IT 12
List of contributors 15
Trustee Declaration 15
Receipts and Payments account for the year ended 31stDecember 2023 16
Statement of assets and liabilities at 31stDecember 2023 17
Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31stDecember 2023 18
Trust Information 19
Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Chichester Youth 20
Adventure Trust

Chichester Youth Adventure Trust Annual Report 2023

Public Benefit Declaration

The Trustees have paid due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Our Charity’s aim is to help and educate young people through their leisure time or educational activities.

Continued work has been undertaken at the bunkhouse to improve the accommodation and to ensure the Health and Safety requirements are met.

The young people not only experience and develop skills in the outdoors, but also develop their independence and their social skills whilst away from home and living with others. The Trustees will continue to monitor the usage to ensure young people benefit from using and staying at the bunkhouse.

There are also a number of adult groups who use the bunkhouse when it is available, and their revenue assists with the day-to-day expenses of running the place, enabling the young people to stay at the centre at a reduced price.

The following reports incorporate how the Charity continues to meet its aim.

Report of the Trustees

Chair’s Report

2024 will be the 40th anniversary of the formation of the Chichester Youth Adventure Trust charity and, as part of my report, I have asked Anne Scicluna, the Trust's founder, to share some of her memories of the Trust's early days and later development. It makes for an interesting story.

Founder’s prattles

When I became Mayor of Chichester in 1983, I realised that the mayor usually put their names to charities which he or she wants to support. As a youth worker, I realised that the youth leaders in the Chichester area often want to take their young people to areas totally different to home, to allow them to experience different ways of life, work together, show initiative, etc. This costs money, which many young people’s families may not have. So why not try to raise funds to have somewhere for us (and others in the same situation) to go to? So, we set about fund raising. All, the local schools and youth organisations did what they could, from the local Sea Cadets taking over a car park and washing cars, to the Boys’ High School running a sponsored silence – and lots of other things in between.

Meanwhile a small group of us toured the wild country in the south and west of Britain looking for a place which was suitable, available and that we could afford. The only stipulation was that it had to have water nearby – we didn’t mind (too much) the condition, and electricity would be a bonus. We felt it would also be fantastic if it was in wild country so that Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme at Gold Level could be achieved there. We even looked at tumbledown buildings which had trees growing out of them!

Visiting South Wales one day, we went into Brecon to the National Parks office to ask where we would be likely to gain planning consent for such a centre. Not really much hope, they said. However, a couple of weeks later they rang me and said that there was such a place, which was leased by the Forestry Commission to Wiltshire County Council as a centre (so no planning consent required), but that they had neglected it. It seemed that just one school (at Chippenham) had been using it. The Forestry Commission had told Wiltshire County Council that they could either put it into good condition and give it back, or they could purchase it. National Parks didn’t think they really wanted it but wouldn’t want to spend the money to renovate it, so would probably buy it, which would be the cheaper option. So, I telephoned Wiltshire County Council and asked what they would do. Having taken it to committee they came back to me and said I could buy it for £8,500, and this included one and a quarter acre of land. We went to Wales and had a look.

The barn before major refurbishment was undertaken

As we approached a beautiful barn owl flew silently out of the building. Inside it was obvious where he or she had been nesting, as the upstairs ceilings were hanging down and huge heaps of twigs were in there. Downstairs in the kitchen there was a think brown carpet where the sheep had been sheltering. They had also knocked the wash hand basins off the wall onto the floor (sheep are large and heavy!). But the place was fed by its own spring, and electricity was run into the building. In addition, there was a very large, attached barn and a smaller one outside, as well as the remains of a pigsty. All were full of things – we weren’t sure what those things were, as it was too dark inside to see, and we weren’t about to try to walk through, just in case!

We said Yes! A tremendous lot of work had to be done, but we could afford that sum of money. A lot of the work could be undertaken by work parties, including some of the young people themselves, who would learn skills at the same time. The school from Chippenham could still use it but book through us.

The sale contract was signed on 1st February 1984, and a charitable trust set up. Local tradesmen from both Chichester and Wales helped. Some supplied equipment or materials, some went themselves and dug, sawed, built, chimney-swept and gardened. Young people helped them or built-up dry-stone walls. I personally remember well at least one weekend, sleeping bag on floor (where there were floorboards), no glass in windows, snow on ground, very cold, but lots of work carried out.

From the early days at Tyle Morgrug, a group outside the front door

Now, forty years later, we have a great committee running the place, it’s centrally heated, with comfortable bunk beds, well equipped kitchen, double glazing, barn converted (we had to demolish the small one to get materials for the large one). There are great activities in the area, and literally thousands of young people have benefitted – many bringing their own children, and even grandchildren. There are good relations with the local people, and as time goes by even more renovations are still taking place.

So, thank you to all who have had any sort of association with the project over these forty years – long may it continue. Keep up the good work! It’s been fun.

Anne Scicluna Founder

Chair’s Report continued…

2023 has seen a continuation of last year’s recovery from Covid with very good occupancy numbers and subsequently our best year yet for income. We have made a realistic increase to the hire charges, which still remain very reasonable, in order to keep up with inflation and our visitor numbers have been very good and include youth, family, adult, social and activity groups. We are particularly pleased to have been able to advertise in the Boys Brigade magazine and to be included on their Facebook page. We are also well promoted within the Scouts and included on their Facebook page.

My telephone contact with group leaders prior to a visit has been useful, appreciated and informative and prevented misunderstandings, particularly over lane access and expectations of how the building should be left on departure; both being issues that have occurred in the past.

A well-used bunkhouse like ours does need constant maintenance and much of this is done by our dedicated group of trustees and volunteers whose work over the years has saved us hundreds of thousands of pounds and, quite frankly, without their contribution Tyle Morgrug just would not have survived to become the place it is now. My very grateful thanks go to them for their major contribution and for the time, energy and effort they have made.

Major maintenance does, however, need specialists and our first major concern this year was to improve the purity of our natural water supply which was deemed, due to too much copper in it, to be a hazard to health. Consequently, major plumbing has taken place, including replacing copper pipes with plastic ones which will rectify the situation.

Our second major task was to rebuild and repair a large section of the stone dry stone wall on the south side of our property. Unfortunately, due to the contractor getting Long Covid and inclement weather, the scheduled work did not take place and will be brought forward into 2024.

Our successes this year have been the restoring and roofing, by one of the trustees and his helpers, of the derelict pigsty which is now a splendid looking log store for the storage of logs from our felled trees. A further success is that the defibrillator has now been installed in the back porch and is all ready to go - let’s hope we never need it! We have also received a quote for installing 2 electric car charging points and expect this to be done in the summer of 2024.

John Robbins

Chair

Honorary Treasurer’s Report

The annual return was filed with the Charity Commission with trustee details updated. Changes as to how to deal with the Charity Commission on-line have also been introduced, but as yet I have been unable to set up the new link.

Forms were completed to keep us as an approved centre on West Sussex County Council’s list, albeit after the year end when the reminder came!

The water supply was tested by the local authority and was not found to be satisfactory without steps being taken to permanently reduce the copper content of the water rather than

rely on flushing as in the past. Further details are given in Chair’s report. This has given rise to unbudgeted expenditure of £3,592 with more to come in 2024 to complete the works.

As regards the accounts, income from groups staying at the centre on a cash received basis was up from £21.128 to £30,038 well in excess of pre-Coronavirus levels. The amount received in advance of bookings for 2024 is £4,012.

We have again received support via the local authority in the way of a reduction of business rates making the charge for the year ending 31 March 2024 nil.

Collection of waste now takes place from the centre rather than some distance from it.

Calor gas costs per litre went down on the renewal of our contract for three years, but only fixed for one. With regards to electricity, we received some support from the Government through our supplier during 2023. We have also been promised £500 during 2024 but have yet to see it.

We ended with a healthy surplus of £7,133 on unrestricted funds for the year and accumulated unrestricted funds of £53,096 compared to £45,963 in 2022.

The balance on deposit increased from £42,000 to £47,000 with an increase in interest rates by moving funds from Virgin to United Trust bank and putting them in a 40-day notice account. The interest rate still lags behind base rate though.

There have been on going communications with Barclays over the status of our bank account which is not fully resolved. Apparently, it was never updated back in 1984 to show that it was a charity account. Thus, it looks like a new account will have to be opened with bank charges.

It is not clear whether we will meet the Welsh Government’s new tests to pass as a business which would appear to require a significant increase in the nights, rather than days that the centre is in use for the year ending 31 March 2024, but there is little more that we can do about increasing this if they apply it to bunkhouses. The proposal from the Welsh Government to levy a tourist tax for people staying overnight is still likely to happen which may have to be passed on and will entail more administration, but not for some time.

Michael Merritt Honorary Treasurer

Building Maintenance, fabric, furnishing and fittings

There is always something to be done and the following has been accomplished:

John Robbins Trustee

Outdoor Maintenance

As with the indoor maintenance there is always something to be done and the following has been accomplished:

The pigsty before the refurbishment

The completed log store

Further tasks, not mentioned above, that are planned for 2024 are:

John Robbins Trustee

Bookings 2023

Bookings are now back to pre-pandemic levels with an overall occupancy of 57% which is slightly down from 2022. There were 2 cancellations in 2023. One was due to a client’s minibus breaking down and the other because plumbing works overran forcing us to cancel a booking.

There were 54 individual bookings for 2023. This compares with 63 bookings from 2022. It is possible that this higher 2022 figure was caused by carry over of bookings from 2020 and 2021 which were postponed due to the pandemic.

As of 15/1/24 we already have 36 bookings for 2024 and 2 for 2025. This is down from 41 at this time last year. Returning groups tend to book the next visit immediately after they have visited as this gives them a good chance of securing the dates, they want but every year 2 or 3 groups are disappointed. Book early to avoid disappointment.

There are any number of statistics that can be given but the table below gives % occupancy per month and actual bed nights per month. The % occupancy is based on the number of days that the building has occupants but ignores maintenance work parties. Previous year’s figures have not been given as a changed methodology means comparison is not a fair one.

2023 2023
Month % Occupancy Bed nights
Jan 32 138
Feb 46 126
Mar 83 284
Apr 93 257
May 35 76
Jun 47 86
Jul 77 328
Aug 87 468
Sep 61 212
Oct 39 107
Nov 39 96
Dec 26 81

It can be seen that the period around Easter (but not limited to the Easter Holidays) and the summer holidays were our busiest periods. Group size has a significant impact on the number of bed nights an individual booking generates.

These bookings generated an income of £27613. This income is only from 2023 bookings and does not include payment for 2022 bookings made in 2023 or advance deposits for 2024 bookings.

27 (50%) of the bookings were youth bookings with the rest being adult bookings. This is down on last year’s figure of 70% but these figures do vary considerably from year to year. The table below shows a breakdown of the last 3 years bookings. All values are %

2021 2022 2023
West Sussex Youth including Chichester
& Rhondda Cynon Taff		 8 22 28
Chichester & Rhondda Cynon Taff Youth 2 3 15
Other Youth 18 48 22
Youth overall 26 70 50
Adult overall 74 30 50

32 (59%) of groups were identified as returning groups with the remainder being new to the centre. Although the booking system is still operated by a real person and not automated, I am pleased to report that virtually all communication is email based with a little bit by phone. We now have a system that is paperless.

Nigel Colenutt Trustee

All Things IT

At the end of 2022 we took advantage of signing up for Google Workspace for NonProfits. This provides us with a suite of I.T tools for the charity to use free of charge. This includes dedicated cyat.org email addresses, document storage, online meetings as well as many more features.

During 2023 we have started to integrate some of these tools into the processes we use. For example, a number of our trustees now have dedicated cyat.org email addresses allowing them to segregate personal and charity business, as well as secure storage for charity based documents. Our booking secretary has harnessed the same secure storage to store booking forms and invoices. We have even used Google Meet to allow remote trustees to participate in our trustees’ meetings.

Our website, www.cyat.org has continued to contribute as a key way to connect with users of the bunkhouse in 2023. During 2023 we have updated and refreshed our gallery of pictures

for the bunkhouse - why not take a look if you have not been able to visit in a while? We have also added a floorplan to help users visualise and appreciate the cottage & bunkhouse indoor space.

We are happy to report that the Wi-Fi has continued to work trouble free during the period and is a valuable asset for our visitors.

Website performance

Traffic overview

2023 saw a further increase in traffic to the website across all metrics. We saw a 25% improvement on the previous year in terms of unique visits.

Figure 1: Jan 01 2023 – Dec 31 2023

Figure 2: Jan 01 2022 – Dec 31 2022

What next?

In 2024, we’ll continue to keep the site up to date. We’ll continue to monitor usage and performance statistics, reporting regularly to the Board of Trustees, so we can identify new opportunities and actions that are needed.

During 2024 we plan to expand the use of the Google for Non-Profits tools and resources. For example, onboarding our chairman and treasurer, as well as continuing to consolidate our trustee documents in one safe and secure location.

If you’ve not seen the site yet, do take a look at www.cyat.org. We hope you enjoy using the site. If you have any suggestions, just let us know by emailing feedback.cyat@gmail.com

List of Contributors

The following individuals and organisations, amongst others, have contributed towards Cynon Valley Cottage and Bunkhouse in cash, kind or time in 2023.

They are listed in alphabetical order.

Adrian Uttley Liz Robbins Andrew Jones Malcolm Challis Barry Pullen Martin Tomlinson Cathy Childs Michael Merritt Claire Ward Muriel Burrows David Goode Nigel Colenutt David Hatton Peter Cox Emma Harvey Peter Harvey George Harvey Richard Knight Graham Almrott Ray Creasey Greenwood plants Richard Dickson John Robbins Sandra Hopkins Kate Colenutt Tom Jones Kevin Cass

The Trust is indebted to all the volunteers who make a real contribution to its working parties by keeping maintenance costs much lower than otherwise.

Trustee Declaration

Approved by the trustees on 8 March 2024 and signed on their behalf by Martin Tomlinson as acting chair at the meeting.

Chichester Youth Adventure Trust

Receipts and Payments account for the year ended 31 December 2023

Notes
Income
Letting Fees
Grants and Donations
2
Gift aid
Bank Interest
Damage and cleaning recharged etc
Direct Charitable Expenditure
Provision of Cottage & Bunkhouse
Caretaker and cleaner
Business rates
Insurance
Electricity
Calor Gas
Water supply -testing
Safety certificates and inspections
Waste collection
General Repairs & Maintenance
Working Parties' Travel and subsistence
Cleaning materials
Furniture and Equipment purchases
Special Works -
Tree felling, landscaping and planting
Adapting the pigpen as a long term log store
Improving water supply system
Publicity & Advertising
Broadband
Miscellaneous
Other Expenditure
Governance Costs
3
Total Expenditure
Net Surplus/(Deficit)for the year
Cash and bank balances brought forward
Cash and bank balances carried forward		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
2022
£
£
£
£
30,038
30,038
21,128
368

66
434
1,740
25

25
37
891

891
105
171

171
200
31,493
66
31,559
23,210
3,039
3,039
2,884
-
-
139
2,126
2,126
1,948
2,225
2,225
730
2,776
2,776
2,028
-
-
179
1,083
1,083
1,040
891
891
874
3,307
3,307
3,473
645
645
1,076
345
345
267
2,005
2,005
3,731
-
-
4,348
1,469
1,469
-
3,592
3,592
-
40
40
50
499
499
443
-
-
75
24,042
-
24,042
23,285
318
318

288
24,360
-
24,360
23,573
7,133
66
7,199
(363)
45,963
-
45,963
46,326
53,096
66
53,162
45,963

Chichester Youth Adventure Trust

Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 December 2023

Notes
£
Unrestricted
Bank balances
Barclays Community a/c
6,096
United Trust Bank
47,000
Virgin
-

53,096
Represented by Funds
6
53,096
Other assets and liabilities
Fixed Assets
Cottage & Bunkhouse
Declared value
585,027
Equipment
Declared value
42,072
Current Assets
Gas stock
1,200
Debtors - hire fees due
888
Interest accrued
290
Other payments paid in advance
1,696
4,074
Current Liabilities
Creditors and accruals
1,292
Deposits in Advance
4,012
5,304		 £
Restricted
66
-
-
66
66
2023		 £
Total
6,162
47,000
-
53,162
53,162
1,200
888
290
1,696
4,074
1,292
4,012
5,304		 2022
£
Total
3,963
-
42,000
45,963
45,963
558,232
42,072
500
1,301
45
1,588
3,434
1,500
2,390
3,890

Michael Merritt Honorary Treasurer and Trustee Date 12 March 2024

John Robbins Chair of the Trustees Date 14 March 2024

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023

1 Accounting policies

These accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.

2 Grants and Donations
Donations/grants - restricted - tree felling,
landscaping works and tree planting
Grants - restricted - defibrillator
Donations - unrestricted
3 Governance Costs
Post, Printing, Stationery and Phones
Independent Examination Fee
Website maintenance		 2023
66

-

368

434

2023
56
83
179
318		 2022
690
700
350
1,740
2022
60
78
150
288

4 Trustees' Remuneration, Expenses and Benefits

No trustee or person connected to them received any remuneration or benefits during the year (2022: nil) A total of £738 (2022 £474) was reimbursed to six (2022: seven) of the Trustees in the year. This was reimbursement for actual costs incurred in travel to and from the Cottage & Bunkhouse for work party weekends, postage, telephone and some subsistence and accommodation costs.

5 Risk Management

The Trustees have carried out a Risk Assessment audit of all the major risks relating to its operational base i.e. the Cottage & Bunkhouse. They actively review this on a regular basis, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate their exposure to major risks.

6 Reserves Policy

The General Fund represents unrestricted funds arising from past operations.

The trustees aim to keep sufficient reserves to maintain services to hirers, to meet any unforeseen maintenance expense and to keep the property well maintained. The aim is to keep at least one year's running costs in reserves Restricted Income Funds of £66 (2022 nil) are amounts received by way of grants and donations for specific schemes

Trust Information

Founder

Anne Scicluna

Trustees John Robbins (Chair) Cathy Childs Michael Merritt (Honorary Treasurer) David Hatton (Honorary Secretary) Martin Tomlinson Ray Creasey Peter Harvey Peter Cox (resigned 8 March 2024) Michael Pearce (resigned 26 April 2023) Nigel Colenutt (appointed 28 June 2023)

Trustees are recruited from persons who are familiar with the aims and policies of the charity and have appropriate skills, knowledge and experience to undertake specific roles.

Correspondence address held by Charity Commission Treasurer: Michael Merritt, 87 Worcester Road, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 5EB

Bankers:

Barclays Bank plc, East Street, Chichester United Trust Bank

Independent Examiner: Trevor James FCA, DChA

Constitution:

Trust Deed dated February 1, 1984 as amended by deed of variation dated 13 February 1998, 1 January 2001 and 9 December 2004

Charity Registration Number: 288717 Web site: www.cyat.org

Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Chichester Youth Adventure Trust

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Chichester Youth Adventure Trust (the Trust) for the year ended 31 December 2023

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's Report

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached,

Signed:

Name

Name T E James Relevant professional qualification or body FCA DChA Address Dormer Cottage West Broyle Chichester West Sussex PO19 3PR Date: 24 April 2024