Charity Registration No. 297948
LEWES U3A ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023
LEWES U3A
CONTENTS
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Legal and administrative information | 3 |
| Trustees' report | 4 |
| Statement of receipts and payments | 8 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 9 |
| Notes to the accounts | 11 |
| Report of the Independent Examiner | 12 |
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LEWES U3A
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
| Trustees | Michael Austin |
|---|---|
| Roger Cockrell (appointed July 2023) | |
| Ann Coffey | |
| Hilary Golden (resigned March 2023) | |
| Janet Kennedy (resigned July 2023) | |
| Dorothy Goldman (resigned May2023) | |
| Susan Murray (Chair) | |
| Hazel O'Hare (resigned July 2023) | |
| Jacqueline Ralph | |
| Margaret Sheppard (resigned March 2023 | |
| Marion Tyler | |
| Anne Williams | |
| Ann Holmes (resigned October 2022) | |
| Charity number | 297948 |
| Contact Address | Lewes u3a |
| Ann Coffey | |
| Flat 2 | |
| 170B High Street | |
| Lewes | |
| East Sussex | |
| BN7 1YE | |
| Website | Home |
| Independent examiner | Steve Brentnall |
| 1 Meadow View Cottages | |
| Town Littleworth Road | |
| Lewes | |
| BN8 4TH | |
| Primary Bankers | NatWest Bank |
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LEWES U3A
TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023
The Trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2023.
Objectives and activities
Lewes u3a is part of a national and international movement of older people who wish to keep their minds and bodies active and share their lifetimes of experiences and knowledge with others. Lewes u3a sets out to attract new members and to offer an environment in which people can establish new friendships and deepen and extend their interests. All our activities are organised and run by members who freely give of their time, experience and expertise.
The aim of Lewes u3a is to engage, Inform, entertain and present learning opportunities for retired and semi-retired people by providing low-cost activities. We do this by sustaining and developing opportunities for members to pursue interests through stimulating group study, talks, visits and activities. The cost of annual membership, study groups and activities will be kept low. Lewes u3a encourages all people no longer in full-time employment to join and participate. Organising, contributing to and running Lewes u3a is done on a voluntary and unpaid basis.
In pursuit of this mission, the Lewes u3a Executive Committee endeavours to manage Lewes u3a effectively, efficiently, economically and as ecologically as possible. It plans, maintains and updates actions and policies that widen membership, and that support and guide groups, courses and other activities. It strives to create new and additional groups and courses to meet the needs of the members.
Public benefit
The Trustees acknowledge the requirement to demonstrate that Lewes u3a has charitable purpose or aims that are of public benefit. The trustees confirm that they have paid due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit.
Achievements and performance
We now operate four sessions per year without breaks as opposed to the previous three terms with breaks (though some groups ran/run continuously or monthly). This has provided more activities particularly during the summer months when not everyone has holidays or family responsibilities. There is still potentially scope for more groups and activities. A decision was made to reduce the scale of the printed programme to a group listings document which can very easily be updated to reflect a more flexible programme and doubles as a timetable. This is still new but appears to be well received and, as before, those without internet access receive a copy by mail.
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LEWES U3A
Our achievements are measured by the number and range of groups, subjects and activities provided and these are now much as they were before the Covid-19 pandemic.
We have now established a series of quarterly social events with speakers which have been well attended and very much enjoyed. Topics have ranged from an insight into the lives of Travellers to an insider’s look at Glyndebourne opera house.
Each year Lewes u3a holds an Open Morning aimed at attracting new members and informing existing ones about what is on offer. Held in a central location in Lewes, conveners of the various groups and activities are on hand to meet the public and explain what they provide and how it is organised. Members of the public are encouraged to join on the day. The Open Morning for the year ending August 2023 was held in September2022. It was very well attended and people were able to join or renew their membership and to talk to the leaders of some 50 of the groups represented there. It so happened that the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex walked through our event en route to another commitment and he was incredibly impressed by the huge variety of course we provide to our members.
The Executive Committee increased fees for attending groups from £1 per session to £2 per session for this financial year. However, venue prices have not gone up as much as feared and as we have a healthy balance we have decided that as from January 2024 these will revert to £1 per session. This will help our members with the cost of living and reduce our positive balance.
The monthly Bulletin, started in September 2020, continues to be received with a great deal of enthusiasm. It goes out by email but our ‘buddy’ scheme means that members who do not have access to the internet can be kept informed of events and the bulletin printed for them. This has been of great value to our members.
The move over from the Beacon database to Simple Membership (SM) is complete, enabling on-line payments for membership, new courses, and for joining groups. We are now working on getting Membership running smoothly on SM and hopefully finances will follow. SM integrates with our website from where it is easily accessed by members. Many of the changes have been forced upon us by external events beyond our control. Beacon was not being updated to meet our needs and our local bank branch has closed with the Post Office not accepting cash deposits. This has led to great change in our administration, but we hope that we are also future-proofing our organisation. Unfortunately, the necessary pace and extent of change led to some resignations from members of the committee. So far it has not been possible to find full replacements and some committee members are having to double up on their responsibilities. We are optimistic that new people will come forward after our AGM in November. There have also been some other complaints from a few of our members but again these have been addressed by providing assistance with, for instance, offering ‘buddies’ to help people struggling with on-line payments and with accessing our activities.
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LEWES U3A
Financial review
The Charity Commissioners require registered charities to make an annual return of their financial accounts. An Independent Examiner has examined and verified the Accounts for 2022/23.
The Charity Commission requires all charities to prepare a set of Financial Statements. These Financial Statements have been subject to Independent Examination in accordance with Directions issued by the Charity Commission.
Total receipts in 2022/23 amounted to £68,517 (2021/22 £49,450). Total payments of £55,737were made in 2022/23 (2021/22 £45,870) resulting in net receipts of £12,780.
This year, most groups went back to hired rooms, a few remained on Zoom and a few were hybrid meetings, held in a room with some members connecting from home via Zoom. This year, we charged the same for a group whichever accommodation arrangement was made. Groups in members’ home or where the convener already had a Zoom licence remain free.
At 31 August 2023 the total cash balances amounted to £44,926(at 31 August 2022, £32,146), the breakdown being shown on page 9.
Reserves Policy
The Charity’s policy is to try to spend constructively the income it receives on charitable objectives as laid down in its Constitution. Funds have accumulated over the years and are held now as reserves in a Deposit Account.
The amount held in the COIF Deposit account at 31 August 2023 was £19,469, being retained for future spending on new activities and equipment.
The General Fund balance at 31 August 2023 was £21,461 (at 31 August £23,014) providing adequate amount of working cash for the Charity. During the year £15,000 was transferred to the COIF account.
The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
Structure, governance and management
Lewes u3a was established in 1985 and registered as a charity at that time.
Lewes u3a is governed by its constitution. The management of Lewes u3a is vested in an Executive Committee, consisting of members whose duty it is to carry out its general policy and to provide for the administration, management and control of the affairs and finances of Lewes u3a. The Executive Committee, consisting of not less than six and no more than twelve members, is elected annually by the members at the AGM. The honorary officers (chair, vice-chair, secretary and treasurer) are appointed by the elected committee at their first meeting following the AGM.
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LEWES U3A
The Executive Committee meets at least five times during the year and the confirmed minutes are posted on the Lewes u3a website, making them available to the members and the public. Decisions are made following full discussion by the Executive Committee.
Activity groups are managed by group leaders who operate within guidelines set by the Executive Committee and who meet to share ideas and experiences under the leadership of the Groups Coordinator. New groups are encouraged and supported by the Group Facilitator.
The Membership Secretary keeps records of the membership and collects the annual fee from members as well as making a return to the Third Age Trust (TAT) of all eligible members. TAT provides insurance cover for Lewes u3a and its members participating in activities run by Lewes u3a.
Signed on behalf of the Trustees of Lewes u3a by the Chair, Susan Murray.
Chair Dated:
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LEWES U3A
LEWESU3A
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023
| 2023 | 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| INCOME RECEIPTS | |||
| Voluntary Receipts | |||
| Subscriptions | 9,571 | 7,973 | |
| Gift Aid tax reclaimed | 1,730 | 1,580 | |
| --------- | 11,301 | ||
| Receipts for Activities | |||
| Fees for courses, lectures, trips etc. | 56,765 | 39,882 | |
| Other receipts | |||
| Closing payment from SUN | 182 | 0 | |
| Bank interest | 268 | 15 | |
| Miscellaneous receipts | 0 | 450 | 0 |
| --------- | --------- | ||
| 68,517 | 49,450 | ||
| Total receipts | |||
| --------- | --------- | ||
| DIRECT CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE | |||
| Affiliation fees, insurance, u3a | 4,862 | 5,648 | |
| Cost of courses, lectures, trips etc | 47,675 | 36,309 | |
| Printing, postage and stationery | 648 | 1,654 | |
| Purchases of equipment | 756 | 314 | |
| --------- | 53,941 | ||
| MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION | |||
| General administrative expenses | 1,126 | 1,405 | |
| Independent Examination fee | 500 | 470 | |
| Sundry expenses | 170 | ||
| 70 | |||
| --------- | 1.796 | ||
| --------- | --------- | ||
| Total payments | 55,737 | 45,870 | |
| NET RECEIPTS FOR THE YEAR | 12,780 | 3,580 |
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LEWES U3A
| Cash and bank balances at | 1 September 2022 | 32,146 | 28,566 |
|---|---|---|---|
| --------- | --------- | ||
| Cash and bank balances at | 31 August 2023 | 44,926 | 32,146 |
| ====== | ======= |
All the receipts and Payments of Lewes U3A are unrestricted
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LEWES U3A
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 AUGUST 2023
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| MONETARY ASSETS | ||
| Bank and cash assets:- | ||
| Nat West Bank (General Fund) | 20,891 | 23,004 |
| NatWest Bank current account (Held for Writing Workshop ) | 563 |
563 |
| Nat West Bank (Out and About Group) | 3,348 | 4,318 |
| CCLA Ltd – COIF Deposit Fund | 19,469 | 4,201 |
| PayPal account | 571 | 10 |
| Petty cash account (Writing Workshop Group) | 84 | 50 |
| _ | _ | |
| 44,926 | 32,146 | |
| ======= | ======= | |
| NON-MONETARY ASSETS | ||
| Assets retained for the Charity’s own use; various items of | ||
| equipment shown at estimated market values | ||
| Brought forward | 2,814 | 2,500 |
| Purchased during the year | 756 | 314 |
| At estimated market value caried forward | £3,570. | £2,814 |
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LEWES U3A
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
-
1 The financial statements have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis in accordance with section 133 of the Charities Act 2011.
-
2 Although all of the funds of Lewes u3a are unrestricted, the Charity operates with four Designated Funds. A summary of the Receipts and Payments by Designated Fund is shown below.
| Movement in | Movement in | Resources | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance at | Incoming | Outgoing | Transfers | Balance at | |
| 1 Sep 2022 | 31 Aug | ||||
| 2023 | |||||
| General Fund | 23,014 | 59,034 | 45,587 | -(15,000) | 21,461 |
| Development Fund | 4,201 | 268 | 0 | 15,000 | 19,469 |
| Out & About Group | 4,318 | 9.180 | 10,150 | - | 3,348 |
| Writing Workshop Group | 613 | 35 | 0 | 648 | |
| ------- | ------- | ------- | ------- | -------- | |
| 32,146 | 68,517 | 55,7317 | - | 44,926 | |
| ======= | ======= | ======= | ======= | ======= |
- 3 None of the trustees were remunerated in their capacity as trustees.
S igned by:-
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Chair
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Date:-
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For and on behalf of the Trustees of Lewes u3a
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF LEWES U3A IRegist¢red Charity No. 2979481 I report on the accounts of Lewes U3A for the year ended 31 st August 2023 which are set oul on pagcs 8 to I l. Respective responsibilities of trnst¢es and examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparalion ofthe accounts. The charity's trustees consid¢r that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Chariiies Act 2011 (the 201 l Act) and ihat an independcnl ¢xaminalion is needed. Having satisfied myself that the charity is eligible for independent examinalion, it is my responsibility to examine Ihe accounts under section 145 of ihe 2011 Act. to follow th¢ procedures laid dO.n in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under seeiion 145{5)(b) of the 201 I Aci; and to stale wheiher particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examiner's sta¢emenl My examinaiion was Carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. Art examination includes a review of the gccounling records kept by the charity and a comparison of the acLounls presented wilh those records. li also includes ¢onsid¢raiion of any unusual item5 or disclosures in the accounis. and seeking explanalions from you as trustees concerningy any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidenc¢ that would be requId in an audii and consequenily no opinion is 8iv¢n as to whether the accoun15 presenl a'true and fair view, and the report is limited lo Ihose maiter5 $¢1 out in the 51alemeni below. Ind¢pendent ex*miner's statement In conneclion with my examinaiion. no material malters have come to my attention which give me cause lo believe that in, any material respect: a¢¢ounting records were not kept in accordanee with section 130 of Ihe 201 l Acl. or the 3¢¢ounts do not accord with the accouniing records. I have Come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which allenliort should be drawn in order lo enable a proper understanding of the accounts io be reached. Signed by Sieve Breninall l Meadow View Cottages Town Littleworth LEWF,S BN8 4TH Dale.. 2ndNovember 2023 12