Charity Registration No. 297948
LEWES U3A ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
LEWES U3A
CONTENTS
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Legal and administrative information | 3 |
| Trustees' report | 4 - 7 |
| Statement of receipts and payments | 8 - 9 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 10 |
| 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 | |
| Ann Coffey | |
| Caroline Moorhead ( appointed January 2024) | |
| Susan Murray (Chair) | |
| Jacqueline Ralph | |
| Marion Tyler | |
| Anne Williams | |
| Charity number | 297948 |
| Contact Address | Lewes u3a |
| Ann Coffey | |
| Flat 2 | |
| 170B High Street | |
| Lewes | |
| East Sussex | |
| BN7 1YE | |
| Website | https://u3a.simplemembership.co.uk/Lewes |
| Independent examiner | Steve Brentnall |
| 1 Meadow View Cottages | |
| Town Littleworth | |
| Lewes | |
| BN8 4TH | |
| Primary Bankers | NatWest Bank |
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LEWES U3A
TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
The trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2024.
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 and economically. 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 operate on 4 sessions per year, though some groups ran/run continuously or monthly, for instance. This has provided more activities during the summer months when not everyone has holidays or family responsibilities. There is still potentially scope for more groups and activities. The new group listings document, which can very easily be updated to reflect a more flexible programme and doubles as a timetable, has bedded in well. As before, those without internet access receive a copy by mail.
Our achievements are measured by the number and range of groups, subjects and activities provided and these continue to expand.
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LEWES U3A
A series of quarterly social events with speakers have been well attended and very much enjoyed. Topics have ranged from an insight into AI to a look at climate change.
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. This year’s Open Morning was held in September 2023. It was 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 .
As from January 2024 course fees were reduced to £1 per session, hopefully this will help our members with cost of living. Costs of venues have increased, but with our healthy bank balance we expect the £1 fee to continue.
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.
Over the year great efforts went into Membership running smoothly on Simple Membership (SM). Hopefully finances will follow in. due course. SM integrates with our website from where it is easily accessed by members. We are now running with a smaller number of Trustees as a number of requests for volunteers have met with only limited success.
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 2023/24.
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 2023/24 amounted to £84,638 (2022/23 £68,517). Total payments of £83,849 were made in 2023/24 (2022/23 £55,737) resulting in net receipts of £789.
Most groups now meet in hired rooms, with very few meeting on Zoom and a few hybrid meetings, held in a room with some members connecting from home via Zoom.
At 31 August 2024 the total cash balances amounted to £45,715 (at 31 August 2023, £44,926), the breakdown being shown on page 10.
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LEWES U3A
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 2024 was £20,487, being retained for future spending on new activities
The General Fund balance at 31 August 2024 was £19,671 (at 31 August 2023 £20,461) providing adequate amount of working cash for the Charity.
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 provides a range of learning, social and activity-based groups for the benefit of its members, all of whom are no longer in full-time employment.
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.
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 Groups Facilitator.
Membership of Lewes u3a is open to all no longer in full-time employment. 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..
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LEWES U3A Signed on behalf of the Trustees of Lewes u3a by the Chalr. Susan Murrav. Chair 9(5 rf Dated:.....
LEWES U3A
LEWESU3A
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
| 2024 | 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| INCOME RECEIPTS | |||
| Voluntary Receipts | |||
| Subscriptions | 10,760 | 9,571 | |
| Gift Aid tax reclaimed | 1,781 | 1,730 | |
| --------- | 12,541 | ||
| Receipts for Activities | |||
| Fees for groups, lectures, trips etc. | 71,079 | 56,765 | |
| Other receipts | |||
| Closing payment from SUN | 0 | 182 | |
| Bank interest | 1,018 | 268 | |
| Miscellaneous receipts | 0 | 1,018 | 0 |
| ------ | |||
| ---------- | --------- | ||
| 84,638 | 68,517 | ||
| Total receipts | |||
| --------- | --------- | ||
| DIRECT CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE | |||
| Affiliation fees, insurance, u3a | 3,784 | 4,862 | |
| Cost of groups, lectures, trips etc | 77,817 | 47,675 | |
| Printing, postage and stationery | 606 | 648 | |
| Purchases of equipment | 0 | 756 | |
| MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION | |||
| General administrative expenses | 877 | 1,296 | |
| Independent Examination fee | 765 | 500 | |
| ---------- | ---------- | ||
| Total payments | 83,849 | 55,737 | |
| NET RECEIPTS FOR THE YEAR | 789 | 12,780 |
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LEWES U3A
| Cash and bank balances at 1 September 2023 | 44,926 | 32,146 |
|---|---|---|
| --------- | --------- | |
| Cash and bank balances at 31 August 2024 | 45,715 | 44,926 |
| ====== | ====== | |
| 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 2024
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| MONETARY ASSETS | ||
| Bank and cash assets:- | ||
| Nat West Bank (General Fund) | 19,671 | 20,891 |
| NatWest Bank current account (Held for Writing Workshop | ) 563 | 563 |
| Nat West Bank (Out and About Group) | 3,568 | 3,348 |
| Lloyds Bank current account (Theatre Group) | 1,426 | 0 |
| CCLA Ltd – COIF Deposit Fund | 20,487 | 19,469 |
| PayPal account | 0 | 571 |
| Petty Cash (Writing Workshop Group) | 0 | 84 |
| ______ | _ | |
| 45,715 | 44,926 | |
| ======= | ======= | |
| NON-MONETARY ASSETS | ||
| Assets retained for the Charity’s own use; various items of | ||
| equipment shown at estimated market values | ||
| Brought forward | 3,570 | 2,814 |
| Purchased during the year | 0 | 756 |
| ----------- | ---------- | |
| At estimated market value carried forward | £3,570 | £3,570 |
| ======= | ====== |
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LEWES U3A NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS l The financial statements have been prepared on the receipts and payments basls In accordance with sertion 133 of the Charities Act 2011. 2 Although all of the funds of Lewes u3a are unrestricted, the Charity operate5 Wlth four Designated Funds. A summary of the Receipt5 and Payments by Desi8nated Fund is shown below. Movement In Resources Inc¢mlni Outgolng Balance at 1 Sep 2023 Balance at 31 Aui 2024 General Fund Development Fund Out & About Group Theatre Group Wrltlng Workshop Group 20,461 19,469 3,348 39,330 1.018 13,188 31,102 39,550 19,671 20,487 3,568 1,426 563 12.968 31.247 44,926 84,638 83,850 45,715 3 None of the trustees were remunerated in their capacity as trustees. Slgned by:" Chalr io Datè:. For and on behalf of the TTUStee5 of Lewes u3a li
INDEPENDENf EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF LEWES U3A IRegistered Charity No. 2979481 I report on the accounts of Lewes U3A for the year eThled 3 1st August 2024 which are sei oui on page5 8 to I l. Resp¢¢tive resty)nsibilitie5 of trustees and ejgmlner The ¢harity's irusices e responsible for the PT¢parntion of the accounts. The charitys iruslees consider that an audit is not required for ihis year under section 144(2) of Ihe Charilie5 Act 2011 (the 2011 Acl) and that an independent examination is needed. Havin8 satisfied myself that the charity is eligible for ind¢pendcnl examinatio it is my resFonsibility lo :. examine the accounts under section 145 of ihe 2011 Act; lo follow ihe procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Ci)mmi55ion under seclion 145(SXb) of the 2011 Ad; and io ale whether particular matters have com¢ lo my attention. Basi8 of independent eumlner's Statement My examination wa5 ¢arTied oul in a¢cordwKe wilh the getKral Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination include5 a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with Ihose rerds. 11 also includes consid¢rdtion of any unusual items or disclosures in ihe a¢counts, and seeking explanations from you as trUSS concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as lo whether the accounts present a Yrue and fpir view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent examlner'l stltement In connection with my examination, no materia] mallers have come io my alleniion which give me cause to believe thai in, any material rup¢c¢: accounting records were kept in aGcordanc¢ with Sli0n 130 of the 2011 ACL or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records. I have ¢om¢ acr055 no gther matters in ¢onne¢iion with the examination to which att¢ntion should be drawn in order to enable a proper understsndin8 of the a¢counls to be reached. Signed by :_ Steve Brenlnall l Meadow View Cottages Town Littleworth LEWES BN8 4TH Date.. 12