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Walsworth Community Association

Registered Charity: 302485

Trustees’ Annual Report & Accounts for the year ending 31[st] August 2024

Reference and Administrative Details

The Trustees present their report together with the financial statements of Walsworth Community Association for the year ended 31[st] August 2024.

Charity’s Principal Address:	Walsworth Community Centre
	88 Woolgrove Road
	Hitchin
	Hertfordshire
	SG4 0UG
Trustees	Simon Yarwood	Chair
	Bernard Lovewell
Executive Committee	Elizabeth Townsend	Secretary
	Heike Joachimi	Co-Treasurer
	Anke Whitaker	Co-Treasurer
	Maggie Berry
	Roger King
Independent Examiners	Positive Community Finance Ltd
	7 Scholars Rise
	Stokenchurch
	Buckinghamshire
	HP14 3FL

Structure, Governance and Management

The constitution of the charitable association was first adopted on the 12[th] April 1976 and is registered with the charity commission under number 302485.

The organisation is governed by an Executive Committee which is elected by and from the members of the Association. All members of the Executive Committee shall retire annually but shall be eligible to be appointed or co-opted again.

The title of all and any real property which may be acquired by or for the purposes of the Association shall be vested in Trustees who shall be appointed by the Council and who shalt enter into a Deed of Trust setting forth the purposes and conditions under which they hold the said property in trust tor the Association.

Objectives and Activities

Charitable objects a s set out in the association ’ s constitution document are as follows:

The objects of the Association shall be:

A) t o promote the benefit of the inhabitants of Walsworth (hereinafter called ‘the area of benefit’) without distinction of sex or of political, religious or other opinions by association the local authorities, voluntary organisations and inhabitants in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
B) to establish or to secure the establishment of a Community Centre and to maintain and manage, or to co-operate with any local statutory authority in the maintenance and management of, such a centre for activities promoted by the Association and its constituent bodies in furtherance of the above objectives.

The Association shall be no-party in politics and non-sectarian in religion. The Association shall have power to affiliate to the National Federation of Community Associations and to other organisations with similar charitable objectives.

The Executive Committee and Trustees have reviewed and planned the charity’s activities during the period using the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit.

Achievements and Performance

The last year has presented a challenging time for the WCA. Repairs have been required to the building as part of maintenance and upkeep, some hirers have moved on and other new ones have joined bringing their own new needs, which in turn has created additional work for the volunteers.

The Association has however weathered all of this and ended the year in a stronger position with a better equipped facility and satisfied customers. The key highlights of the year include, but are not limited to;

Approximately 12 regular hirers for the year with several hiring the hall for multiple sessions.
Approximately 40 one off bookings, helping meet the local communities needs for a space to hold things like children’s parties and group meetings.
Annual lecture on History of Art, delivered by a hirer with ticket sales that raise money as a donation to the running and upkeep of the building.
Spring craft fair with over a dozen stalls selling arts and crafts from local independent business, again raising money towards the Centres upkeep.

This year has put us in a strong position to go forward and continue to serve the local community through maintenance and delivery of the Centre.

Financial Review

The charity’s total receipts for the period were £31,123 (2023: £25,556) and the total payments made were £31,442 (2023: £24,138). The charity had a small deficit of £319 this period. At the end of the financial year the charity held unrestricted funds of £61,399 (2023: £61,718).

Declaration

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

Approved by the board of Trustees on ________ and signed on its behalf by: 17 June 2025

Simon Yarwood, Chair of Trustees

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Walsworth Community Association

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Walsworth Community Association (“the Trust” ) for the year ended 31[st] August 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust ’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Lee Mathers MIAB, MCIOF (Cert) Positive Community Finance Ltd 7 Scholars Rise Stokenchurch Buckinghamshire HP14 3FL 29[th] May 2025