Streets. Independent examinerfs report to the Trustees of Buckden Recreation Gmund and Village Hall Trust I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Buckden Recreation Ground and Village Hall Trust (the Trust) for the perlod ended 30 September 2024. Responslbilitles and basis of report A5 the charlty trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance wlth the requlrement5 of the Charitles Act 20111'the Act'}. I report in respect of my examlnatlon of the Trust's accounts carried out under sectlon 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 14515llbl of the Act. Independent examlnerfs statement I have tompleted my examination, I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connertlon wlth the examination givin8 me cause to believe that in any materlal respect: l. accountln8 records were not kept in respect of the Trust as requlred by section 130 of the Act,. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records, I have no concerns and have come across no other matters In connectlon wlth the examination to which attention should be drawn in thls report in order to enable a proper understandln8 ofthe accounts to be reached. Llnda J Lord FCA Streets Chartered Accountants Potton House, Wyboston Lakes, Great North Road, Wyboston. 8edford, MK44 3BZ Date: 14 January 2026 Pottg? ftrtyuWrodtrliEQ LIKY r(hYor SirLo1.L￿thLNI IXW Trustees. Annual Report for the period Period start dale Period end date From 2024 To 30 Soplember 2024 Section A Reference and administration details Charlty name 8uckden Recreation Ground and Village Hall Trust Other names charlty l¥ known by Buckden Village Hall Trust I'BVHT.) R•glst8r•d ¢harlty number Ilf any) 302629 Charity's prlnclpal addres• Buckden Village Hall Burberry Road Bu¢kden St Neols Cambridgeshire Postcode PE19 5UY Names of tho charity truste08 who manage the charity Dates a¢ted If not for whole ear 3010912024 3010912024 Name of person lor body entitled to appoint trustoe Ilf Tru8t•8 name Officè Ilf any) Kevin Loake8 1210312011 1210312011 Village member Cricket Club Scouts Treasur8r I Village member Village member Buckden Junior Football Club ChairNillage member Buckden Village Club Tennis Club Tony Cook Tfevor Mews Cynthia Alers Hamish Masson 0310912013 3010912024 3Q10912024 0510612018 0510612018 3010912024 Michael Lander 0211012019 0210612021 3010912024 Matthew 8eldam 3010912024 3010912024 10 13 Catherine Beldam Marie Mclnlyre 0211112021 0910112024 3010912024 Names of the trustees for the charlty, if any* (for exarnple, any custodlan tru$t&o81 Name Dates acted If not for whole Buckden Parish Council (Custodian Trustee) 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024 ear TAR 1 of7 March 2024 Names and addresses of advisers (Optional infomiationl of ad¥i8•r Namo Address Accountants streets Potton House, Wyb08ton Lakes. Greal North Road. Wyboston, Beds, MK44 3BZ 4 Brindley Place, Bimiingham B12JB Lancasler House Nunn Mi118 Road Northampton Northam onshire NN15GE Bankers Unity Trust Bank HCR Hewit8on$ Solicitors Nam• of chief executiv• or nam•8 018enlor stsff members Ioptlonal infomiation Matt Beldam. Chair Cynthia Alers. Treasurer Section B Structure overnance and mana ement Do•crlptloTh of tho charlty'• trusts Trust deed from the Charity Commi88ion (dated 11 August 1969) Type of goveming document How the charity is constituted Unincorporated charitable tru8t Trustee selection methods Elected at the Annual General Meeting Addltlonal gov•rnan¢•108uo8 {Optlonal Informatlon) You may choose lo include addilional infomation, where relevant. about.. This year the Trust transitioned from an unincorporated charlty lo a chaftlable incorporated organi8ation. We wer• granted a new conslilthion by the Charity Commission with a registration number. All assets were transferred from the old charity to the new legal stTUCture. FOT thi8 reason. the financial accounts for the year have béen truncated be￿an the old and new charity entities. Please refer to Buckden Recreation Ground and Village Hall Trust, charity number 1203696, for financial information in tha second half of the year under the new CIO Structure. policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees., the charity's organisalional structure and any wider nemtork with whlch the charily works,, relationship with any related parties., trustees, Gonsideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them. R•¢rultment and Appolntrnont of Tru8teo8'. The Board of Trustees comprises representatives who are village residents and, in some cases, also represent their particular Club on the Board {e.g. tennis, bowls. football). On appointment, each Trustee is provided with a Charity Commission information leaflet outlining the role of charity trustee and given an induction lo the BVHT'S work by one or more of the Trust's officers. 11 is expected that Trustees will execute their duties with a view to th8 greater good of the viability of the Trust, and not their particular interest. Trustees are encouraged to participate in training seminars and wèbinars. The Trust subscribes to the 9overnment body ACRE (Action with TAR 2017 M8fch 2024 Communities in Rural England) for training and updated guidance on best practice and regulation. The Hall Manager maintains an agreed risk regisler and records any accidents. Regular regulatory maint8nance checks are also carried out by either the Hall Manager or specialist accredited contractors. The Trust takes Gorporate governance and risk assurance very seriously. and during the year renewed ils Hallmark 1 excellenGe rating (administration and management). as iudged by the government body ACRE (Action for Communities in Rural England), a government advisory body under DEFRA promoting management excellence and best practice in village halls. The Trust also achieved Hallmark 2 accreditation for excellence in HSE, security and licence8. The Trust is currently working toward Hallmark 3 accreditation for community involvement, social awareness and strategic planning. Section C Ob'ectives and activities The obi8cl of the 1$ thè provision and maintenance of a ReGreation Ground and facililles ancillary thereto and a Village H811, including lacilitie8 for a Rlfle Range, lor the use of the inhabitant8 of the Parish of Buckden and Ihe neighbourhood ther60f wilhoul distinction of sex, race, or ol political, religious or other opinions, with the obia¢t of improving thè conditions of life for the said inhabitants, Summary of the objects of thè charfty Sèt out In Its gov•rning document Our chantable objectives remgin the provision and maintenance of a Rècreation Ground and facilities ancillary thereto and, if the Committèe think frt, a Village Hall. including facilities for a Rifle Range. for the use of the inhabitants of th8 Parish of Buckdon and the neighbourhood thereof Ihereinafter called "the area of benefit") without distinction of sex, race. or of political, religious or other opinions, with the obj'ect of improvin9 the ¢ondrtions of life for the $aid inhabitants. Summary of tho maln activili•s undertaken lor the publ1¢ bonofit in r•lation to thes• objects Ilncludo wlthin this section the statutory doclaratlon that tru•teeg have had regard to the guidance i•su•d by th• Charity Commission on public b•nefit) The facilities are used by a wide range of organisalions within the village, including the Parish Council's offices, county library. village social club, preschool and various sports clltbs for which there are appropriate leases andloi hire agreements in place. other groups and individuals hire the hall and grounds for eonlerences, dances, ￿ceptionS and perfOMan￿5. As a chartty, the Trust offers competrtive hire rates for residents (who qualify for modest di3Gounts} and non-residenls. The Trust￿3 confimi Ihat they have acted in a¢¢ordanco wlth the requirements of the Public Benofit guidellnes without favourlng any speciflc group or peoplo. TAR 3of7 Klarth 2024 Rlsk Management The Truslees are aware of the major strategic, business, and 0￿ratIonal risks which the charity faces. Thèy confirm that systems have been established to enable regular reports lo be produced. so that necessary steps can bè taken ta lessen thesè risks. Addlllonal d•lail• of obA-o¢liv•s •nd actlviti•• (Optlonal inforniation You may Choo￿ to include further statements, where relevant, about.. policy on grant making., policy programme related investment.. We contlnue to W¢)rk with national and local funding bodies to false money for building improvements and upgrades to our facilities. In the to 30109124, we raised c £2788 in grant funding which wa$ used to fund healthy living progr8mmes for people wth dementia. We were also Ihe beneficiary of a £25000 legaGy, which i¥ being used to Upgfade our facilitle8 with new carpeting, refurbished soft furnishing and èxternal maintenance. conlribulion made by volunteers. Section D Achieveiments and performance Summary of th• rnaln a¢hl•vomonts of th• charlty durlng th• y•ar Conversion to CIO Review of legal and governance frameworks Renewal of various leases with inflationary Cost increases Enhan¢ed pitch maintenance Successful fund-raising lor varlou8 projed$ Accredilalion as ACRE Hallmath 1 and 2 Strong working relationghip with the Parish Council on joint objedives for Buckden residents Section E Financial review It is the policy ol the charity lo maintain sufficient unrestricted funds to cover the day lo day running c06t$ of the charity and lo respond to sp&cifi¢ &xpendilure requirements as considered ne¢es$ary. The trustees consider that th8 minimum level of reserves should be equivalent to three months average expenditure and should maintain fr88 reserves of £30,000. This amount is under regular review. Brlef statement ol the charlty'g pollcy on reserv88 Due to the change in legal structure over the year, from unincorporated charrty lo a CIO, the financial perfomance of the Trust musl combine the resuKs under IhiB charity 302629 plus that of our nèw incorporatèd charity structure under the same name bul new regislralion number 1203696. The following ￿fleCts the performan¢e of this trust and the new CIO for the period 01104124 to 31103125 Total revenues for the combined Tru$ls rose S%. Income from leases fell 10% due to timings on lease ienewals which in some cases are not annual. Hire income rose strongly by 33% due lo increased corporate hires. regular events and Buckden Parish Council's activity programme for young adults and healthy living classes. The weekly class of activity 4017 Marth 2024 TAR and social inclusion for those suffenng from dementia and their carers was particulady popular. Staff and utility Gosts continue to be our major categories of expenditure, with operating costs continuing to increase, primarily due to rnarkel factors beyond our control, Utility costs (gas, electric81 and water ralesl again increased 1 Ook and are the largest cost rtem at c. 43¢A of oFeraling income. Staff costs rose by 14Q/o due to increase in the National Living Wage and the addition of one part lime staff memb8r to 28% of operating income. Sel against an increase in operating income of 5%, this demonstrates the challenge small charities are facing. Repair and maintenance costs increased 8ubslanlially by 70% bul wère almost totally funded by grants and legacy donations. Our main building dates in parts back lo the 1970s with many repairs nec8SSitaled by ageing infrastructure. Our fund-raising. which has been very Successful, focused on upgrading our climate resilience, with roof insulation and conversion lo LED lighting throughout. ènabling the Trust lo pass these savings on to tenants and hirers, A prograrnme of refreshed interior decoralion, including painting, carpeting and soft furnishing replacement was entirely funded by a generous legacy. As much of our income is derived from conference and event hire, these repairs were deemed essential by the Trustees. Solar pane15, installed almost ten years ago. continue to reduce our energy consumption, with these savings passed on lo tenants and major event hirers. Professional fees, thè other major item of expense, rèlated lo the ongoing conversion to 8 new CIO legal structure. increases in our property valuation, in8uranco increases and lease negotiations. When the charity's structure changed on 3010912024 the charity held tolal cash balances of £175443 which were transferred lo the new CIO. At 31103125 the CIO was holding total cash balances of just over £155,325 be￿een the current account, projeGt account Iwork8 In progress and restricted funds that transfer to the main C￿￿ent account lo pay for works) and CCLA deposit account. The Trustees continue lo monitor 8118reas of the Trust's activities bul are comfortable that the current level of reserves is appropriate. D•tall8 of any funds materlally in deficit The Trust manages finances in a conseNative and prudent manner and has remained solvent for over 30 years. Furth•r flnancial r¢vlow d•tail$ (Optlonal Infomiatlon) TAR 5of7 March 2024 You may choose to include additional infomiation. where relevant about.. the Charity s principal sources of lunds (including any fundrai8ingl', how expgnditure has supported the key objectives of the charity., inveslment policy and objeclives including any ethical investment policy adopted. The pnncipal source of funding is rental and hire income which supports our day-to4ay operations. Surplus funds are invested in improving Ihe sustainability of our facilities and maintaining a high-quality venue for Collferen￿ hire, special p8rformance$ and event hire. Revenu68 from leases and hires increased S%. underpinned by inflationary increases in leases and hire rates and in¢￿0$ed ￿1Porate hirès and event bookings. Staff Gosts rose 14% in line with increases in the National Living Wage, overtime costs and the addition of one part time mern￿r of slaff. Utility costs again remained our largest expense at over £45,000 for the fijll financial year lo 3110312025 We review our utility contracts on a regular basis and use energy brokers to secure tha most advantageous pricing. Repair and maintenanc8 costs increased substantially in the year, in part due lo legacy and grant income which was used to upgrade our conference facilities and repair ageing inlraslructure. The ri8e in professlonal fees refiecl conllnued legal work on lease renewals and conversion to a new legal slnjcture as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. We actively fund raise to undertake proj8Cts requiring larger capital expenditure and which will enhance our facilities for tenants, hirers and resident$ in line with our Tru81 objectives. Over the year, secured grant fundlng lo.. Convert all lighting lo LEDS to reduce energy costs. Savings are passed on to tenants (Green Business Impact Programme). Enhance insuSalion installed in all roof caVit￿S to improve heal tenlion. Savings passed onto lo tenants (Green Business Impact Programme. Maintain the playing pitches {Buckden Pansh Council). Initiate 8 dementia activity and Social weekly class (Huntingdon Di$triGI Council with the Parish Council). Improve plantings in the nature area IHuntingdon District Council). Replace derelict public footpath (FCC Landfill). Some of these projects are still in progress and will complete under the new CIO in 2026. Section F Other optional information Section G Declaration TAR 6of7 Marth 2024 Th• tru•te•s dKl•re that thoy hav• approved th• tru8t•a•' rnport al￿¥•. 8lgnod on b•half of the charity's trustw• Slgnaturfj(s) Full nam•(sl' Matt Beldam Cynthia Alors Po•lllon(•) Chair Trea8urer 2 Septembar 2025 2 Saptembor 2025 TAR 7of7 March 2024 CHARITY COMMI5510N FOR ENGIAND AND %VALES Blltkd•n R•Gr•*knn Grpynd •ndVlhq• Trult 3026ag Recei F•f lh• p•rlod ts and ments accounts CC16a 0110412024 3010912024 Section A Receipts and payments Unr•*tri¢t•d Erbdowrn•nt lun4$ lund• TOW ltsnd* L••1 yq•r toth• n••r••t to lh• AI AK•l 35.405 iJ.4 71,1•0 Pwd ¥u Oonobons. G￿￿11￿ Funo Rw• Je? J.4?9 399 or ARJ •4,JiJ 1.7 •7.1•1 •n nv•¥ m•n Tot•1 r•eWpl¥ 97.1 Fwd ￿Th•1 UlthbD Buildi￿ S￿￿j1 Ré & W*irt1fjn*n¢• 23.772 194 iJ.s0? Profoli￿>nll S•rvk*i 4.912 4,411 Sub total 4M 111,2 A4 ABi•l and Invqstmont Sub lot•1 Tot•lp•ymanis 119,298 Net of re¢￿P￿I[paymèrttsj AS Tr•n•hrs b•lw••n lunds A6 C•sh lundg lftst yvi vnd C•sh lutKlJ Ih15 year end 10,7J7 8,78 172.855 2.TOB 175.443 139.781 CCXX R1 accounts18S1 0SIOW202S Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unr••tslth fvnd• Endowrn•nl Iunds nd lo n••r•BI E 81 Cash fund• untyEwk 2.7 COIF 16,519 P• Tolal c•sh lunds IT2￿• UnrMtilGt•d lufvd• R••t11￿•￿ End•*Th•nt nur••i 17,M) Vund towhkh Cun•nIV4￿• BJ In¥Y•tm•fit •A••I• 84 A•i•ts r•taln•d lor th• C￿11￿8 own u•• Fr•*W Prop•ty P￿y￿ Fl*ui•• a Fl¥JW• 1,741.17J J07 lJr•untdu• Vth•n du• BS Llabllltl•o poyo Wd Slgned by ortso ￿J￿r￿10n s￿nature Pfini Name Dale of roval CCXX R2 ISS) OW2025