2026-01-31-accounts - Kingston Reading Room

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Kingston Reading Room

Annual Report & Accounts for the year ended 31 January 2026

Registered Charity No: 300882

Trustees’ Annual Report For 1[st] February 2025 to 31[st] January 2026

Kingston Reading Room

(Registered Charity No 300882)

Objects and Activities

In accordance with the Scheme dated 30[th] January 1940 and amended as approved by the Charity Commission on 3[rd] June 2024, “The object of the Charity shall be the maintenance of the Reading Room of the Charity for the purposes of physical and mental training and recreation and social, moral and intellectual development, through the medium of reading and recreation rooms, library, lectures, classes, recreations and entertainments or otherwise as may be found expedient, for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of Kingston. without distinction of sex or of political, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, political or other opinions.”

During the year to 31[st] January, 2026, the Reading Room was utilised for around 31% of available sessions, mainly for the following activities:

Tuesday morning market;
Local elections;
Kingston Art group working sessions;
Jack and the Beanstalk, the biennial village pantomime;
Band and solo drum practise;
Professional yoga classes;
The monthly village quiz night;
Meetings of the Kingston Local History Society; Kingston Parish Council; Kingston Gardening Club; a newly formed pottery club; Reading Room committee meetings;
Occasional events of St James the Less church;
Village gatherings to watch live sporting events;
Kingston Events Group events including Oktoberfest and music performances;
Local parties, a Craft Market and a Produce Show; and
Kingston Short Mat Bowls club (unfortunately this stopped at the end of February).

Produce Show prize giving

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Trustees’ Annual Report For 1[st] February 2025 to 31[st] January 2026

Kingston Reading Room

(Registered Charity No 300882)

Major works in the Hall

The hall was closed from March to June for a major reordering of the kitchen end of the main floor to accommodate a new kitchen, disabled toilet, loft store and chair and table store. This cleared a space that had been used to store chairs and stage parts and means that some chairs no longer have to be carried up the stairs for large seated events.

The total financial cost of £23,672 was mainly funded by a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund along with a donation from the Wurr family, in memory of John Wurr. The Wakefield Trust gave us a further grant that we used towards 80 new, lighter chairs.

Phil Anderson designed, managed and did most of the work with the assistance of a mainly volunteer workforce from the village. Phil’s contribution was at least 75 days, valued at £24,000. Other volunteers provided plastering, carpentry, decorating and general labouring valued at £15,000.

The Hall showing the new kitchen end

Their contributions were celebrated at a party in October.

Fundraising

The annual Grand Draw will be back for the Kingston Fun Day in August 2026, this is a major ticket sales opportunity, that raised £1,427 in ticket sales in 2024. There was no Fun Day in 2025 so, with the building work happening, there was no Grand Draw.

Owen and Elaine Roberts sold 223 tickets for the “200 Club” in autumn 2025, with a monthly prize draw increasing again to £90 per month. The “200 Club” provides unrestricted funds for hall maintenance with 50% of sales returned as prizes.

Financial Position

Due to the building works, trading receipts were down from £5,221 last year to £3,838 and fundraising receipts were down from £3,573 to £2,270 due to the Grand Draw, donations were £6,769 (£648 last year), grants totalling £19,222 were received and building society and bank interest of £792 resulted in overall receipts of £32,906 (£10,208 in 2023/24). Maintenance and Development Fund payments were £9,019 (£1,566), General Fund payments, excluding fundraising,

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Trustees’ Annual Report For 1[st] February 2025 to 31[st] January 2026

Kingston Reading Room

(Registered Charity No 300882)

were £7,511 (£6,718) and the designated Maintenance and Development Fund was increased by transfers from the General Fund of £1,425 (£1,976).

The Reading Room holds the following reserve funds as at 31[st] January 2026:

A General Fund of £2,920 to cover 6 months estimated hall net running costs and the 200 club prizes for February to September.
A Maintenance and Development Fund, now £12,082, which is used to maintain and enhance the fabric of the Reading Room, a building which was gifted to Kingston Parish in 1912 having previously been used as almshouses.
A Restricted Fund is held to keep separate funds raised for specific purposes. The National Lottery Community Fund grant of £17222 and the Wurr family donation of £3,750 (including Gift Aid) were spent on the building works mentioned above. The closing Bowls Club donated £500 to Reading Room funds plus £1,843 to be held for four years in case a new Bowls club is formed.
The Endowment Fund which represents the rebuild cost assessment of the Land and Buildings of the Reading Room including VAT. The Scheme dated 30[th] January 1940 vested the Reading Room land and hereditaments in Kingston Parish Council as the corporate trustee.

The Reading Room’s bankers are:

Lloyds Bank plc

Coventry Building Society

Structure, Governance and Management

The Reading Room is governed by a Scheme approved and established by the Charity Commission and dated 30[th] January 1940, a copy of which is on the Kingston Parish Council website. This Scheme was amended as approved by the Charity Commission on 3[rd] June 2024.

The 1940 Scheme appointed three trustees, two individuals and the Kingston Parish Council, with no provisions for the individual trustees to be replaced.

The amended Scheme allows for members of a Committee of Management to be appointed consisting of representatives of certain village organisations and three elected members (Chair, Secretary and Treasurer). Under Charities Act 2011 “persons having the general control and management of the administration of a charity” are also trustees, which includes the Committee of

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Trustees, Annual Report For 1st February 2025 to 31st January 2026 Kingston Reading Room (Registered Charity No 300882) Management. Hence Kingston Parish Council continues to bè the survivin8 trustee under the Scheme and the members ofthe Committee of Management are also trustees. The following were Trustees durlng the period above and up to the date of signature of thls Annual Report: Trustee undef the Scheme: Kingston Parish Council. Elerted OffKers: Juliet Manners, Chair ènd Secretary Alan Coleman-smith, Treasurer Committee members: Sarah Banham, Kin85ton Parish Councll Carol Beard Pauline Deschamps, St James the Less Church Jennrfer Kinder, Kingston Arts Group Tina Mears. Tuesday Mornin8 Market Benjamin Russell. Kingston Events Group and Booking Secretary Guy Walker. Kingston Local History Society Daniel Wildin (from 2 April 2025 to 26 January 2026} This Trustee< Annual Report was approved by the trustees in their meeting and 15 signed on behalf of the Trustees at their meeting on Sbgnature Full Name Juliet Manners Alan Coleman-smith Position Chair and Secretary Treasurer PaBe4of8

CHARITY (OMMISSION Independent examinerfs report on the FOR ENGLANO AND WALES accounts Report to the trustees of Klngston Reading Room On accounts for the year 311t January 2026 ended Charity no 300882 (if any) Set out on pages 6 to 8 I report to the trustees on my examination of the a¢¢ounts of the above charity (Ihe Trust.) for the year ended 3110112026. Responsibilitlos and basis of report As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for thè preparation of the acGounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {Ihe A¢V). I report in respect of my examination of the PCC'S accounts carried out under sedion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have foll¢ed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under sedion 145{5}(b) of the Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confim that no material matters have come to my attention in wnnection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material r88P8Ct: th6 accounting records were not kept in acrdanCe with section 130 of the Charities Act- or th& accounts did not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements conmIng the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a Irue and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an indèp8ndent examination. I have no concems and have come a(¥oss no other matters in connedion with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to e proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Slgned: Date: 30 Name: Paul Ellis Relevant professlonal AICB qualificatlon: Address: Pooh Comer, off Amolds Close, Kingston, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 4PL Page5of8

Kingston Reading Room Registered Charity No: 300882

Receipts and Payments account

1 February 2025 to 31st January 2026

General Fund
£
Maintenance &
Development
Fund £
Restricted
Funds £
Endowment
Funds £
Total £
Receipts
Note
Donations
1,157
-
4,843
-
6,000
Grants
1
-
2,000
17,222
-
19,222
Fundraising
2,270
-
-
-
2,270
Hall Hire
2,802
-
-
-
2,802
Morning Market
1,036
-
-
-
1,036
Interest
792
-
-
-
792
Gift Aid
19
-
750
-
769
Other
15
-
-
-
15
8,091
2,000
22,815
-
32,906
Payments
Events
-
-
-
-
-
Fundraising
1,125
-
-
-
1,125
Utilities
2,887
-
-
-
2,887
Services
3,162
-
-
-
3,162
Maintenance
-
1,577
-
-
1,577
Purchases
461
3,319
-
-
3,780
Development
2
-
4,123
20,972
-
25,095
Insurance
726
-
-
-
726
Other
275
-
-
-
275
8,636
9,019
20,972
-
38,627
Surplus/(shortfall)
( 545)
( 7,019)
1,843
-
( 5,721)
Transfers
( 1,425)
1,425
-
-
-
Fund movements
3
( 1,970)
( 5,594)
1,843
-
( 5,721)
Cash and Bank
Balances last year
4,890
17,676
-
-
22,566
Balances this year
2,920
12,082
1,843
-
16,845

Last Year £
648
-
3,573
3,913
1,308
766
-
-
10,208
-
1,374
3,161
2,600
606
107
960
702
148
9,658
550
-
550
22,016
22,566

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Kingston Reading Room Registered Charity No: 300882

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

			Maintenance &
		General Fund	Development	Restricted	Endowment
		£	Fund £	Funds £	Funds £	Total £	Last Year £
	Note
Land & Buildings
Reading Room	4	-	-	-	623,228	623,228	602,153
Cash and Bank
Current Account		372	-	-	-	372	771
Saving Account		792		-	-	792	-
Deposit Account		1,442	12,082	1,843	-	15,367	21,625
Cash in Hand		314	-	-	-	314	170
		2,920	12,082	1,843	-	16,845	22,566

Total Assets		2,920	12,082	1,843	623,228	640,073	624,719

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Kingston Reading Room Registered Charity No: 300882

Notes to the Accounts

1 February 2025 to 31st January 2026

Note 1 Grant income A grant of £17,222 was received from the National Lottery Community Fund for the redevelopment of the Kitchen end of the hall. All of this grant has been spent. A grant of £2,000 was received from the Wakefield Trust with no restrictions. This grant made a significant contribution towards replacing 80 chairs. Note 2 Development cost allocation The 2025 development total cost of £20,972 was partially funded by the above Restricted Lottery grant and partly by a generous donation from the Wurr family. The balance was funded by our reserves, which also included some acoustic panels. Note 3 Fund descriptions a) The General Fund has been set to cover six months hall net running costs (£2,200) plus the prize money that will be paid out to winners of the 200 Club monthly draws for February to September (£720). Surplus funds have been designated for use in the Maintenance and Development Fund. b) The Maintenance & Development Fund has been designated by the Reading Room Committee to be used for the maintenance and enhancement of the building.

c) Restricted Funds reflect the wishes of donors and the aims of certain fundraising events. The areas covered by these funds are shown in the Funds movements table below. The Bowls Club has donated £1,843 of their funds to be held for 4 years to fund a potential new club. After September 2029 they will no longer be restricted. d) The Endowment Fund represents the current valuation of the Land and Buildings that are held in trust as the Reading Room.

Funds Movements

		Opening					Closing
Fund		Balance	Receipts	Payments	Transfers	Valuation	Balance
	Note	£	£	£	£		£
General	3a)	4,890	8,091	( 8,636)	( 1,425)	-	2,920
Maintenance &	3b)	17,676	2,000	( 9,019)	1,425	-	12,082
Development
Restricted	3c)
Bowls Club funds		-	1,843	-	-	-	1,843
Lottery Grant		-	17,222	( 17,222)	-	-	-
Wurr donation		-	3,750	( 3,750)	-	-	-
	total	-	22,815	( 20,972)	-	-	1,843
Endowment	3d)	602,153	-	-	-	21,075	623,228
Total		624,719	32,906	( 38,627)	-	21,075	640,073

Note 4

Asset valuation

The land and building of the Reading Room is shown at the valuation used for Insurance purposes including VAT. A Rebuild Cost Assessment was carried out in June 2021 on behalf of the insurers.

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