Great Bromley Village Hall Registered Charity No. 301310
Trustees Annual Report 1[st] April 2024 – 31[st] March 2025
Secretary to the Trustees:
Col(Retd) Martin Frostick Grove House, Frating Road, Great Bromley, Colchester, Essex CO7 7JL
Tel: 01206250263 E-mail: villagehallsecretary@greatbromley.org.uk
Names of Trustees
Col (Retd) Martin Frostick Mrs Christine Taylor Mrs Laura Barfield Mr David Beech Mrs Marion Britton Mrs Kathryn Ealden Mrs Mary Fawcett Mr Andrew Lear Mrs Carole Mander Mr Paul Newman Mrs Dorothy O'Grady Mrs Natalie Smith
Chairman and Secretary Vice Chairman
Sources of Advice and Support
Barclays Bank plc High Street, Colchester Essex County Council Tendring District Council Rural Community Council of Essex Great Bromley Parish Council
Great Bromley Village Hall Annual Report 2024/25 Page 1
Governance
Great Bromley Village Hall was built originally circa 1923 at the expense of Sir Percy Crossman of Great Bromley Hall. In 1946 the building and associated land was conveyed as a gift to grantees to hold upon trust for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of Great Bromley. A trust deed was drawn up in January 1967 modified by a deed of rectification in October 1967 to create the current charity under which the Village Hall (and associated land) is held.
Appointment of Trustees
The Trust Deed governs the appointment of trustees and the management of the charity. Up to 5 trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting held in April/May with each trustee serving for one year. In addition, six nominated organisations which use the village hall are able to appoint one representative trustee at the Annual General meeting, to serve for one year. All of these trustees form the Management Committee of the village hall which has the power to co-opt up to 3 further trustees if desired.
The Trust Deed appoints Great Bromley Parish Council as the Custodian Trustee for the village hall, responsible for holding good title of the building and associated land on behalf of the Management Committee.
Objective of the Charity
The objective of the Charity is to provide a village hall for the use of the inhabitants of Great Bromley and the neighbourhood without distinction of sex or political, religious or other opinions and in particular for the use of meetings, lectures and classes and for other forms of recreation and leisuretime occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
The trustees consider this objective to be consistent with the Charity Commission guidance on providing for the public benefit as shown in the list of activities supported this year and have taken the Commission's public benefit guidance into account when making any decision it is relevant to.
Great Bromley Village Hall Annual Report 2024/25 Page 2
Principal activities in pursuit of Objectives
The village hall is used almost every day of the year for a wide variety of activities including Women's Institute, Carpet Bowls Club, Men's Club, Badminton Club, choral society rehearsals, music rehearsals, yoga classes, pilates classes, ballroom dancing classes and meetings of local organisations.
The hall is available for hire for private functions including children's parties, birthday and anniversary parties, wedding receptions and funeral wakes. It is also available for hire for village social functions, fundraising events and for visiting performers including theatre groups and musical ensembles. The hall is used as the village polling station for elections.
When not in use for activities for the benefit of local inhabitants the hall may be hired by carefully selected commercial organisations.
Policies and Procedures
To inform and guide the Management Committee in managing the charity and also in exercising its duty of care to trustees, employees and users of the hall, a series of policy documents are either in place or being developed to provide a procedural baseline for management. These should be completed in 2025. They include Management Policy and Organisation, Financial Procedures, Risk Management, GDPR and Data, Health and Safety, Fire Safety, Safeguarding, Food Hygiene and Property Management.
Hiring Agreement
Use of the village hall is subject to a Hiring Agreement which must be signed or electronically acknowledged by the hirer before the booking is confirmed. The Hiring Agreement sets out the conditions of hire and identifies the respective responsibilities of each party to the agreement. The hiring agreement and conditions of hire documents were totally revised and reissued in 2018 and will be updated further in 2025.
Great Bromley Village Hall Annual Report 2024/25 Page 3
Licences
The hall has a Premises Licence (excluding alcohol) issued by Tendring District Council with which it is also registered to run small society lotteries. The hall is licensed by the Performing Rights Society for the playing of live and recorded music at non-commercial events. A village hall licensing guide was published in 2018.
Risk Management
Risk Register
The village hall has a risk register which is updated annually and which informs the management decision-making process. The Fire Safety Risk Assessment is also updated annually, as required by law.
Insurance
The village Hall is insured with Ansvar Insurance and the cover provided within the insurance schedule includes: Buildings (up to £1,475,560); Contents (up to £46,498); Business Interruption (up to £60,000); Employers Liability (up to £10,000,0000); Public Liability (up to £5,000,000); Trustees Indemnity (up to £250,000); and Legal Expenses (up to £250,000).
Building Issues
A building Condition Survey is undertaken annually. Portable electrical appliances are checked annually.
The mains electrical installation is inspected by a qualified engineer every 5 years.
Fire-fighting equipment is inspected annually.
Inspections of the fabric of the building are carried out monthly. A full property check is carried out annually.
Real Estate Management
Great Bromley Village Hall Annual Report 2024/25 Page 4
The Charity is ultimately responsible for both the village hall building and the grounds. The latter includes the cricket field adjacent to the hall and the car parks. Great Bromley and District Cricket Club has accepted delegated responsibility for maintaining the cricket field and the grassed area behind the cricket pavilion, which they use with the permission of the trustees. It is also responsible for maintaining the cricket pavilion, which was built with the permission of trustees in the village hall grounds. Maintenance of the rest of the real estate is undertaken by volunteers from the management committee and a part time gardener, with the exception of high-level tree work and mechanical hedge cutting which is undertaken by appointed contractors and the grass cutting at the front and side of the hall which is undertaken by contractors working for the parish council.
Funding Strategy
It is the strategy of the trustees to manage the revenue budget on a selffinancing basis. The hire charges paid by users of the hall are regularly reviewed and were increased during 2024 to compensate for increased electricity charges due to a change of contract. It should be noted that the value of the capital assets owned by the trust, including the building and associated land, is not included in the annual accounts.
Reserves Policy
The charity had £57,852.19 in the bank as unrestricted reserves at the year end. This cash is available for further work associated with the ongoing refurbishment project for the village hall and also for unforeseen expenditure in relation to building maintenance or urgent equipment replacement. It is the trustees' policy to maintain unrestricted reserves of about 100% of annual expenditure, excluding refurbishment costs but including minor maintenance, which equates to about £27,000. The current high level of unrestricted reserves has arisen because of grants awarded during the Covid19 pandemic but is expected to reduce significantly during FY 2025/26 when refurbishment works to the car parks are likely to be undertaken.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance of the village hall and its grounds and from time to time this involves major works costing considerably Great Bromley Village Hall Annual Report 2024/25 Page 5
more than the minor works budget allocated. Funding for major works is found through a combination of fundraising, award of grants from grant-making bodies and the use of reserves.
Volunteers' Eforts
Management costs are kept to a minimum through trustees volunteering to undertake, without payment, several of the key management roles associated with the charity. Some minor maintenance is also undertaken by volunteers. In total, over 220 hours of volunteer time is given by trustees annually, including for organising and running fundraising events.
Contractor Support
Caretaking and cleaning are undertaken by an external self-employed contractor who works in accordance with an agreed contract. The Treasurer and Booking Manager is also a self-employed contractor. Various contractors are paid to undertake all major building maintenance work, as authorised by the management committee.
2024/25 Activities and Achievements of Note
General utilisation of the village hall remained steady during the year with several new regular hirers now booking the premises. Hire income increased slightly due to more private and club bookings being taken although hirings by large commercial users decreased slightly. Overall, the charity made a profit of over £4,500 mainly due to maintenance and miscellaneous costs decreasing as the refurbishment project nears completion. Unfortunately, no further progress was made with the planned car park improvement project as the developer of the Hamilton Lodge site opposite the village hall entered liquidation during the year and the major roadside infrastructure works planned to the front of the village hall are now on hold until further notice.
Future Plans
Great Bromley Village Hall Annual Report 2024/25 Page 6
There were 2 vacancies on the management committee at the end of the year and trustees will be looking to recruit additional volunteers to come forward as potential trustees at the AGM in May 2025.
The car park improvement project will recommence when the way forward regarding the roadside infrastructure works and access to the village hall site has been clarified.
Great Bromley Village Hall Annual Report 2024/25 Page 7
Great Bromley Village Hall
Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2025
----- Start of picture text -----
2024 ASSETS 2025
£ £
53,261.18 Total Bank Balances 57,852.19
0 Debtors 0
53,261.18 TOTAL 57,852.19
2024 RESERVES 2025
£ £
52,613.83 Balance b/f 53,261.18
647.35 Excess of Income 4,591.01
0 Creditors 0
53,261.18 Balance c/f 57,852.19
53,261.18 TOTAL 57,852.19
----- End of picture text -----
I have examined the books and vouchers produced to me by the Treasurer and hereby confirm that the financial statements on pages 1and 2 are in accordance with that information
B Hearn
May 2025
Honorary Auditor
Note: The sum of £53,261.18 carried forward to FY2024/25 excludes £1227.50 which is the money received in advance from hirers for 2024/25 room bookings and held in the bank. This amount of £1227.50 was deducted from the income total for FY2023/24 to balance the account. The actual bank balance at the start of FY2024/25 was therefore £54,488.68
Page 1
Great Bromley Village Hall
Income and Expenditure Account for the Year Ended 31st March 2025
| 2024 | Income | 2025 | 2024 | Expenditure | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ||||||||
| £ | £ |
£ | £ | |||||
| 26,557.50 | Hire Charges | 27,535.94 | 11,919.43 | Premises Support | Staf and | |||
| Materials | 10,632.16 | |||||||
| 309.76 | Donations/Grants | 150.00 | 2,518.90 | Heating Oil | ||||
| 2,194.93 | ||||||||
| 157.25 | Fundraising | 221.42 | 1,715.43 | Utilities | ||||
| 2,704.05 | ||||||||
| 615.66 | Services | 687.24 | 1,468.69 | Insurance | ||||
| 1,514.65 | ||||||||
| 0 | Bank Interest | 0 |
879.83 | Rates, Licences and Fees | ||||
| 1411.18 | ||||||||
| 2,696.00 | Building Maintenance and | Improvements | ||||||
| 1,420.00 | ||||||||
| 332.15 | Refuse Collection | |||||||
| 381.37 | ||||||||
| 3,461.02 | Administrative Support | Staf and | ||||||
| Resources | 3,479.49 | |||||||
| 450.02 | Equipment Purchases and | Maintenance | ||||||
| 0 | ||||||||
| 1,551.35 | Miscellaneous | |||||||
| 265.76 | ||||||||
| 27,640.17 | Subtotal | 28,594.60 |
26,992.82 | Subtotal | ||||
| 24,003.59 | ||||||||
| 647.25 | Excess of Income (Expenditure) | |||||||
| 4,591.01 | ||||||||
| 27,640.17 | Total | 28,594.60 |
27,640.17 |
Total | ||||
| 28,594.60 |
Page 2
Independent Examiner's Report on the Accounts
Report to the Trustees of Great Bromley Village Hall for the year ended 31st March 2025
The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under the terms of Section 43(3) of the Charities Act 1993 (The Act)) and note that one is not mandated by the Trust Deed. However, an independent examination of the accounts is required.
It is my responsibility to:
-
examine the accounts (under Section 43 of the Act)
-
to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 43(7)(b) of the Act, and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. My examination included a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison with the accounts presented with those records. It also included consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and sought explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken did not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that:
-
proper accounting records are kept (in accordance with section 41 of the Act); and
-
accounts are prepared which agree with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act.
There are no matters to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached
Signed: Barry Hearn May 2025
Date: 24[th]
Great Bromley Village Hall Annual Report 2024/25 Page 1
Name: B Hearn
Address: Sparlings Hall, Hilliards Road, Great Bromley, Colchester, Essex CO7 7UT
The trustees declare that they have approved the Annual Report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees
Signature: M C Frostick
Full Name: Martin Charles Frostick
Position: Secretary to the Trustees
Date: 27th May 2025
Great Bromley Village Hall Annual Report 2024/25 Page 2