2023-12-31-accounts - University Of The Third Age (Merton Branch)

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	University of the Third Age (Merton Branch)
Other name the charity uses	Merton u3a
Registered charity number	291074
Charity’s principal address	c/o The Treasurer 54 Princes Road Wimbledon London SW19 8RB

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

----- Start of picture text -----
Name of person (or
Dates acted if not for whole
Trustee name Office (if any) body) entitled to
year
appoint trustee (if any)
1 Jane Fisher Chair From 22 March 2023
Paul Evans Vice Chair
2
(to 22 March 2023)
Linda Thomas Vice Chair From 12 May 2023
3 David Drummond Treasurer
4 Christina Evans Business Secretary
5 Alain Hendrich Groups Coordinator To 29 September 2023
6 Tom Conway Groups Coordinator From 29 September 2023
Sue Lovell-Greene Membership Sec – subs To 31 December 2023
7
(to 22 March 2023)
8 Clare Gray Membership Sec – subs From 22 March 2023
9 Sue Southwood Talks Organiser
10 Roger Frost Minutes Secretary
11 Fleur Jeremiah Comms Coordinator
12 Karl Schneider Media Editor From 12 May 2023
14
15
----- End of picture text -----

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document	Constitution (as amended) adopted 20 March 2024
How is the charity constituted?	Unincorporated Association
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions	Trustees are appointed or reappointed annually at the Annual General Meeting held in March

Objectives and Activities

Summary of the objects of the charity as set out in its governing document	The charity’s object is the advancement of education, and in particular the education of older people and those retired from full time work, by all means including associated activities conducive to learning and personal development in the borough of Merton and surrounding areas.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects	The charity’s main activities are to arrange a varied programme of talks for the charity’s members and visits to interesting places around London, together with promoting and supporting around 80 interest groups designed to enable members to stay active, keep learning and have fun. Throughout our activities the trustees keep in mind the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
Contribution made by volunteers	We are grateful for the many hours our member volunteers have spent in arranging and supporting the talks, visits and other events during the year and especially those who have led and inspired our interest groups.

Achievements and Performance

	Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year	With Covid restrictions behind us, the year’s talks were live and very well attended. Subjects included Charles Dickens, Merton Park Film Studios, London’s Railway Stations, the Silk Roads and Astronomy. The visits during the year were similarly well attended and varied, including Cutlers’ Hall, Chiswick House, Dancesport International (who make the dresses for Strictly!), the Garrick Club and Hatfield House. All the while, our interest groups met regularly for learning foreign languages, discussing current affairs, undertaking handicrafts, playing board games and music and keeping fit by walking, cycling, playing table tennis – and much more.

Financial Review

Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period ~~Review ofthecharity's~~ financialposition at the end oftheperiod	Including restricted funds of £894, bank balances at 31 December 2023 totalled £38,558 – a very healthy position, following large surpluses of income during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. lncludingrestrictedfundsof~~f894,~~bank balances at 3'tDecember2A23totalledC38,558-averyhealthy position, followinglargesurplusesof income duringthepandemic years ot202A and2021.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held ~~Statement explainingthe~~ policyforholding reserves stating why theyareheld	As the charity’s accounting is on a receipts and payments basis, the above bank balances equate to the charity’s reserves and amount to approximately three years of unfunded expenses. The charity’s business model is that the interest groups should be self-financing, although the aggregate payments made by groups for equipment and venue hire are reflected in the charity’s accounts. The charity itself is responsible only for the costs of centrally organised events, such as the programme of talks and general meetings, together with the charity’s administration, IT and publicity expenses. ~~As the charity'saccounting is on a receipts and payments~~ basis,theabove bank balances equatetothe charity's reserves and amounttoapproximately threeyears ofunfunded expenses. The charity'sbusiness modelisthattheinterest groups should be self-financing, althoughthe aggregatepayments madeby groupsforequipment andvenuehirearereflectedinthe charity'saccounts.Thecharity itself is responsible only forthe costs of centrally organised events,suchastheprogrammeof talksand general meetings, together withthecharity's administration, lTand publicity expenses.
The charity’s principal sources of funds ~~The charity'sprincipal~~ sources of funds	The charity’s principal source of funds is members’ subscriptions, which are set at a relatively low rate when compared to those u3a organisations which fund all costs and expenses. The principal costs covered by our members’ subscriptions are the affiliation fees and magazine subscriptions paid to the Third Age Trust, the umbrella organisation for all UK u3a organisations. The accounts include other amounts received from members each year in relation to organised visits and the Christmas lunch in particular, but these receipts are matched with the relevant costs, subject to timing differences between the receipts and the payments. Exceptionally in 2023, our Table Tennis groups applied for and received grants from the Wimbledon Foundation’s “Get Set, Get Active” fund and the Co-op’s Community fund. These grants are held in a separate bank account and their use is restricted to the Table Tennis groups, in keeping with our model of interest groups being self-financing. At the end of the year, £894 of these grants remained to be spent. ~~The charity'sprincipal~~sourceof~~funds~~is members' subscriptions,whicharesetat a relatively lowratewhen compared tothoseu3a organisations whichfundall costs and expenses.Theprincipalcostscoveredbyourmembers' subscriptionsaretheaffiliationfeesand magazine subscriptionspaid to the ThirdAgeTrust,theumbrella organisation forallUK u3a organisations. Theaccounts include other amounts receivedfrommembers eachyearin relationtoorganised visits andtheChristmas lunch inparticular,butthesereceiptsarematched with the relevant costs, subject to timingdifferencesbetweenthe receipts andthepayments. Exceptionallyin2023,our Table Tennisgroupsappliedforand received grants from theWimbledonFoundation's "GetSet, Get Active"fundandthe Co-op'sCommunityfund.These grants are held in a separate bank account andtheiruseis restricted to the Table Tennisgroups,in keepingwith our modelofinterestgroupsbeing self-financing. Attheendofthe year,f894of these grants remainedtobe spent.

Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period
~~Review ofthecharity's~~
financialposition at the end
oftheperiod

Including restricted funds of £894, bank balances at
31 December 2023 totalled £38,558 – a very healthy position,
following large surpluses of income during the pandemic years
of 2020 and 2021.
lncludingrestrictedfundsof~~f894,~~bank balances at
3'tDecember2A23totalledC38,558-averyhealthy position,
followinglargesurplusesof income duringthepandemic years
ot202A and2021.

Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held
~~Statement explainingthe~~
policyforholding reserves
stating why theyareheld

As the charity’s accounting is on a receipts and payments
basis, the above bank balances equate to the charity’s
reserves and amount to approximately three years of unfunded
expenses.
The charity’s business model is that the interest groups should
be self-financing, although the aggregate payments made by
groups for equipment and venue hire are reflected in the
charity’s accounts. The charity itself is responsible only for the
costs of centrally organised events, such as the programme of
talks and general meetings, together with the charity’s
administration, IT and publicity expenses.
~~As the charity'saccounting is on a receipts and payments~~
basis,theabove bank balances equatetothe charity's
reserves and amounttoapproximately threeyears ofunfunded
expenses.
The charity'sbusiness modelisthattheinterest groups should
be self-financing, althoughthe aggregatepayments madeby
groupsforequipment andvenuehirearereflectedinthe
charity'saccounts.Thecharity itself is responsible only forthe
costs of centrally organised events,suchastheprogrammeof
talksand general meetings, together withthecharity's
administration, lTand publicity expenses.

The charity’s principal
sources of funds
~~The charity'sprincipal~~
sources of funds

The charity’s principal source of funds is members’
subscriptions, which are set at a relatively low rate when
compared to those u3a organisations which fund all costs and
expenses. The principal costs covered by our members’
subscriptions are the affiliation fees and magazine
subscriptions paid to the Third Age Trust, the umbrella
organisation for all UK u3a organisations.
The accounts include other amounts received from members
each year in relation to organised visits and the Christmas
lunch in particular, but these receipts are matched with the
relevant costs, subject to timing differences between the
receipts and the payments.
Exceptionally in 2023, our Table Tennis groups applied for and
received grants from the Wimbledon Foundation’s “Get Set,
Get Active” fund and the Co-op’s Community fund. These
grants are held in a separate bank account and their use is
restricted to the Table Tennis groups, in keeping with our
model of interest groups being self-financing. At the end of the
year, £894 of these grants remained to be spent.
~~The charity'sprincipal~~sourceof~~funds~~is members'
subscriptions,whicharesetat a relatively lowratewhen
compared tothoseu3a organisations whichfundall costs and
expenses.Theprincipalcostscoveredbyourmembers'
subscriptionsaretheaffiliationfeesand magazine
subscriptionspaid to the ThirdAgeTrust,theumbrella
organisation forallUK u3a organisations.
Theaccounts include other amounts receivedfrommembers
eachyearin relationtoorganised visits andtheChristmas
lunch inparticular,butthesereceiptsarematched with the
relevant costs, subject to timingdifferencesbetweenthe
receipts andthepayments.
Exceptionallyin2023,our Table Tennisgroupsappliedforand
received grants from theWimbledonFoundation's "GetSet,
Get Active"fundandthe Co-op'sCommunityfund.These
grants are held in a separate bank account andtheiruseis
restricted to the Table Tennisgroups,in keepingwith our
modelofinterestgroupsbeing self-financing. Attheendofthe
year,f894of these grants remainedtobe spent.

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Position Date Signature(s) Fullname(s) Position Date
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Merton u3a

Final Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023

RECEIPTS Subscriptions Gift Aid Talks Visits Group Activities Social (Christmas Lunch) Grants - Wim Foundation & Co-op Miscellaneous Bank Interest Total Receipts PAYMENTS TAT Affiliation TAT Magazine Stationery & Postage Printing & Publicity Visits Room hire Catering Talks Equipment - Technical Groups' equipment and coaching Social (Christmas Lunch) Beacon and other IT Bank Charges Miscellaneous Total Payments Surplus for year - General Surplus on Table Tennis grant SURPLUS FOR YEAR Balances b/f Balances c/f Balances as at 31 December CAF Cash account CAF Gold account (Norah) HSBC HSBC Restricted account PayPal	2023 £ 13,714.00 1,216.26 505.10 3,811.50 5,533.48 1,752.00 2,420.47 0.00 77.45 29,030.26 3,412.00 1,934.30 1,380.35 1,560.17 4,175.65 5,508.60 1,334.18 1,270.00 0.00 2,529.18 1,933.50 962.20 329.61 163.53 26,493.27 1,642.93 894.06 2,536.99 36,021.25 38,558.24 2023 18,276.78 1,965.06 15,782.42 894.06 1639.92 38,558.24	2022 £ 12,868.50 1,791.83 268.45 3,072.00 3,853.21 1,386.65 0.00 0.00 15.39 23,256.03 3,208.00 1,739.80 1,084.68 2,415.47 2,698.00 4,007.80 839.97 610.40 2,000.00 757.21 1,396.65 1,269.58 405.42 61.39 22,494.37 761.66 0.00 761.66 35,259.59 36,021.25 2022 16,608.94 1,928.86 12,825.12 0.00 4,658.33 36,021.25