## The Rainham & Wigmore Community Association Known locally as The Oast ## Trustee Annual Report ## For the Period Ended Dec 2024 Charity Registration Number: 302748 Registered Address: The Oast Community Hub Granary Close Rainham Kent ME8 7SG ## **Trustee List** |Name|Positon(if any)|Dates| |---|---|---| |Jason Liddiard|President|January– December 2024| |Katharina Hickman(Nee Lay)|Bar Manager|January– December 2024| |Steve Claringbold||January– December 2024| |Deborah Gorman|Bookings Secretary / Treasury
team|January – December 2024| |Lloyd Cooke|Chairperson/Treasuryteam|January– December 2024| |Sarah Tyler|Secretary/Treasuryteam|January– December 2024| |Wayne Spring (Ex-Ofcio)||January– December 2024| |Robin Halls||January– December 2024| |Joyce Sanders||January– December 2024| |Colin Chapman||January– December 2024| ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** The Rainham & Wigmore Community Association (R&WCA) is a membership association, constituted as a charity on 30th May 1968. The R&WCA trustees form two voluntary committees, a Council committee and an Executive committee. The council committee is responsible for the overall operation of the charity, and the Executive committee is responsible for the day to day operations (the running of the Community Centre). The Council Committee is elected each year at the Annual General meeting and consists of a Chairman, Honorary officers, Council Members elected from Full Members of the Association, and an Associate Members Representative, together with one representative from users and voluntary organisations that operate in the area. Formally, the Executive Committee is appointed at the first meeting of the Council, the Chairman and Honorary Officers of the Council automatically become the equivalent members of the Executive committee. Additional members are then appointed from the remaining elected trustees. For many years the Council has utilised its ability to delegate all its powers to the Executive committee to streamline the meetings and provide consistency in operations throughout the year. The Executive meets once a month to discuss matters relating the charity and the Community Centre including planning and financial matters. ## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES VISION STATEMENT** ## **VISION STATEMENT** Create a vibrant, diverse, accessible and financially sustainable community hub at the heart of Rainham, supported by the people of Kent and Medway, at the same time protecting and enhancing our heritage in the Oast House. ## **MISSION STATEMENT** Provide facilities that present opportunities for a strong community centre at the heart of Rainham, built on the underpinning values of good governance, accountability, respect, equality and dynamism. ## **Strategic Objectives** - Provide flexible, accessible, safe and economical facilities for community groups and social enterprises from which they can operate, support each other and deliver services to their members. - Create a home where community growth, action, volunteering and enterprise will be nurtured, built upon effective community engagement across a wide spectrum of groups and funders. - Operate on a financially sustainable model to protect the Oast building and its land; all monies generated will be recycled back into the Oast Community Hub. - Actively seek new sources of funding to deliver the community hub ethos which is vested in the neighbourhoods of Medway. - Ensure our policies and actions facilitate a community hub seeking to educate, inform, inspire and improve the wellbeing of the local community through a range of activities. - Ensure our policies and actions encourage equality and diversity of provision. - Develop 21st-century community-led governance arrangements, with the ownership of the Rainham Oast remaining within the remit of the Oast Community Hub (Charity No. 302748) ## **Delivery of Public Benefit** The Trustees and Executive keep in mind the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit at all meetings where the OAST Community Hub’s activities are planned or reviewed. The focus of this being The Oast and the opportunities it provides for social welfare, education, recreation and leisure activities within the community. ## **The Year-to-date update** This year has continued to be turbulent for the RWCA in relation to the CIO transfer status which have been a lengthy, costly and continues to be an ongoing process which we hoped would have been completed last year, however we are nearly over the final hurdles with the transfer and the CIO should be able to take over the day to day running in the next year. We have been awaiting responses from the charity commission and the audit of accounts which have again delayed this. We were required to have a SGM (Special General Meeting) in October due to the length of time since the original agreement for the CIO transfer. The meeting was quorate with 15 members attending, unanimous agreement was given to all three points concerning the dissolution of the RWCA and transfer of the assets to the CIO which will continue the RWCA’s charitable aims. We have now created a working relationship with Jennifer Richardson Accountants, unfortunately the accounting from previous years had not been recorded appropriately which left some untidy bookkeeping which required unpicking and organising to allow the accounts to be verified and then submitted timely to the Charity Commission. Jennifer and her team have worked hard to rectify these issues and will be our appointed examiners for the coming years. The chairperson would like to formally recognise Jennifer and her team for their work in reassuring the current trustees that despite the untidy accounting that there was no sign of any fraudulent activity by the prior chairperson. The executive have been busy this year doing essential maintenance to the building to make this a better place to spend time and feel more welcoming. Towards the end of last year, we were able to update and replace the tired looking restrooms on both floors, this was a large project which used a significant portion of the S106 funding we had been allocated. We have been able to continue to access some S106 funding from previous housing developments to continue improving the space, this money has allowed us this year to renovate the Wakely Kitchen to a high standard and replace the worktop in the Oast hall, this has been done by one of our trusted contractors Callaway Kitchens, and Sean has been amazing at making this space an inviting area. Additionally, we have upgraded the lighting across the whole building, which did also result in some fuse board work being completed as this was not up to current building regulations, we have another trusted contractor BLP Maintenance Ltd, and Adam now knows the building thoroughly and is on hand if there are any issues. There have been some unexpected maintenance issues arose throughout the year which has hit our reserves quite hard, this includes the need for a new water tank as the galvanised steel tank had perished and this began to leak following the installation of the restrooms, this tank was the original tank the building had from the start of the RWCA and therefore did need to be updated, this came at a sum just under £5,000 including labour. We also had an emersion heater which required replacing on the first floor, this came in at around - £3500, which again was unplanned and required the use of funds earmarked for other projects. Last year we received quotes to re-screed the floor in one of the kilns to transform this space into a usable and hireable room for the community, unfortunately there were some leaks to the roof which needed to be repaired which impacted the ability to do this floor screeding therefore this has been put on hold currently. We have now been able to have a modern IT system which is now supporting the work of the committee and trustee members, this is a full Microsoft package which includes SharePoint for the storage of the documents for the centre reducing the need for paper printing. This year, we have been fortunate to have amazing gardener volunteer, she has spent hours of her time clearing the overgrown boarders and moving existing plants to ensure they are more manageable for the future. This has been supported by the application of a hard surface treatment by Greensleeves. This year we began working with the amazing Paramount Foundation, this charity supports adults with learning disabilities to have meaningful activity within their community, they have repainted the bar area providing a much need face lift as well as the back staircase. They joined forces with other volunteers to operate the toy bank which we were fortunate to host again this year. Their volunteers erected the shelving for the kiln and then worked sorting donations, ensuring things were complete and having lots of fun in the process. The Toy bank was able to support a wider selection of families, and this year were nominated for the Pride of Medway award. We were also able to host an Open Studios event, highlighting local artists and supporting their endeavours. The event was very successful and raised some funds for the building through the tea and cake sale. We are hoping to support them again in the coming year. This year has seen the introduction of more music events within the building by several groups, these have been very well attended, totalling 14 events across a range of locations within the building, being run by Big Cheese company, Careful Now Productions and Platform 3. We are looking forward to seeing these events grow in the next year. This is in addition to our regular folk club which meets monthly in the granary bar, Moore or Less has been an established hirer for many years and is always a wonderful evening to attend. In the next year we hope to renovate the bar area further to support these musicians. We have seen a steady rate in private party bookings, two baby fayres and a coffee morning which has increased the revenue allowing community hire rates to be maintained for a further year. There have been several commercial hires for a conference and the polling station which are a vital injection of revenue to continue our charitable aims, we are hoping these will increase in the future thanks to the booking secretary who has been busy building working relationships with organisations including the local council. The centre is home to many different groups and services, these fall into several categories: ||**Health**
JCK Karate
Rainara group (Tennis, Short Mat Bowls, Pilates,
Line Dancing, Yoga)
Ju-Jitsu
Oast House Badminton
Dance for life
Simon Parker Pilates
Alison Hammond Pilates
SlimmingWorld||**Educaton**
Jo Jingles
Gefon Dog Training
AMD Dog Training
First Class Tuiton
Baby Bliss
Lego Coding| |---|---|---|---| ||**Music & Arts**
Rainham Community Choir
Oast House Community Choir
WI Choir
Medway Open Studios
Creaton Staton
Forget me not fora||**Mental Health & Wellbeing**
Rainara group – cofee morning
Tea & Tots
AA
Gillingham Gamers Club
Crafy Friends
The Gamers Hub
Counselling Services
The Geese Project
Rainham Chess Club| ||**Spiritual**
Evangelical Church||| The building occupancy has remained stable with some groups growing over the year, when we reviewed the occupied spaces we have identified that we have some areas which are less used than others, we plan in the coming year to upgrade areas such as the Granary Bar and the Hire Office to increase the use. The Oast hall which is the largest within the building is underutilised within the day and therefore this will also be something we are looking to increase in the coming year. The Committee members and Trustees remain committed to improving The Oast for all groups users and the wider community, we have continued to push the charitable aims and explore other ways in which we can support local community groups to become established. THE OAST RAINHAM AND WIGMORE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATJON UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024 JENNIFEA M RICFIARDSON Um￿E0 32 Station Roaa Ralnham Gillingham Kent ME8 7PH Th• Oait Ralnh•m and Wlgmore Communlty Assoclatlon Content¥ Page n••1 Dvt•i Approv*l Profit ind Loii Account Ng1•1 to th• Accoun The Oait Ralnhim •Jnd Wlgmore Communlty A•#o¢latlon Bu•lnes• Detall• For Th• Y•ar Ended 31 December 2024 Pmprlelor The Oa5t Rolnhorn Ind Wlgmor• Comrnunlly A510cl•tion A¢couni*nl• JENI4IFeR M RICHARDSON LIMITED 32 5totlon Road Rjlnliam Glllifioham Kenl ME8 7PH Paoe I The Oast Ralnham and Wlgmore C4Jmfflunlty ￿￿¢1•* Accoun1• Approval Slat•ffl•nt For Th• Y•*r End•d 31 Dec•mb•f 2024 ompletion. S43 ltte Oasi Aalnhèm •iid ii14imort Commuiyty *s•x41 Th• Oart Ralnham and Wlqmore Communlty A•Md•tlon Proflt and Loss Account For Th• Year Ended 31 Decemb•r 2024 2024 Turnover 0.616 59,843 8.744 3.430 496 6.629 36.72S 5.639 2,063 Aeoulor Holl 11 Casual Hlrtr OITi¢e Hlre Mkcellaneous IrKome 81,137 51.0 Cort of S•le• PuTtha5es Waste disposal 5.595 1.889 2h14 i.sio 3.924 GAOSS PROAT 73.653 47,132 Other Oper•tln• Intome Grnnts and subsldles recelved 42.275 42.27$ 115,928 47,132 Expendlture Rotes Ught ènd heat Water rntes Repalts and malnten)nee OeanSng C4NmPUter software, ¢onsurn•bles and malntenan Insurance Prlntlngi Postage and stauenery Telecornmunicatbns and data costs Acmuntanty fees Legal fees Royalties and fkefice fees payable Bank charye$ Bad debts wrltten off Sundry expenses New Bathroorn cost Unidentlfled bank dlfferen¢e wrltten off Unldentified cash dlfference wrltten off 1.048 8.328 1,191 20,354 12.919 961 6,247 1,280 1.035 i.ioo 2.000 747 1,075 9.955 2,992 11,774 11,698 632 6,191 1,057 2,416 409 51 52 1,701 866 9,500 2,244 675 313 27,018 2.170 72,248 77,811 43,680 (30.6791 ..CONTINUED P•ge 3 The Oast Ralnham and Wlgmore Cornmunlty As•oclatlon Proflt and Loss Account (contlnued) For The Year Ended 31 December 2024 Depreclat5o Oepreclallon S,196 6.276 5.196 6.276 38.484 (36.9551 F5n•nc* Cos Irrecoverable VAT 8.358 8,358 30,126 {36.955) NET PAOFIT Pa9e The Oast Ralnham Jnd Wlgmore Communlty Assoclatlon Balance Sheet As At 31 December 2024 2024 2023 FIXED ASSErs T•r4lble Assets CIIRRENT ASSETS de ¢Jebtors Cash ai bank and In hand 13.428 18.058 12,172 31,180 275 19,802 43.352 20,077 CURRÉNT LIABiUTzes Trade credltors Oiher credltors 1,899 423 13.382 423 2.322 13.805 NET CURREhlT AsseTS 41,030 6.272 TOTAL ASSETS LESS ¢URRENr LIABILMES 54.458 24.330 NET ASSETS 54,458 24.330 CIPITAL ACCOUNT ealonce at l January 2024 ProfWIL05$1 for the p¢riodly¢ar 24,332 30,126 61,285 136.9551 Balance Carried Forw•td 54,458 24.330 Page S Por Th• Y•w l•*LI 3 A 2024 J It I J•wry 2024 I P.015 7,01• 36) J4,Ip• •t 31 Oe£emb•r 2024 9.4n 17.oes J4.5 *J •t l J•ny•ry 2024 Provlded the penod 1.0 7.4 19 3.401 2,JaO 1.40S 15.415 S, 196 •t 31 December 2024 9,880 N•t V•lts• •t 31 Oec¢mber 2014 2.rA)7 7.205 4,216 Al •t l J•thu•ry 2024 3.397 5.154 10,2&1 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinefs Report Report to the trustees The Oast Rainham and Wigmore Communty Asso¢ialion On accounts for the year ended 3111212024 Charity no 302748 lif any} | Set out on pages I report to the Iruslees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity I'lhe Tiusl") for the year ended 3111212024 Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees. yOLt are responsible for the preparation of Ihe actounls in accordance with the requirements of the Chaiilies Acl 2011 I the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Acl and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission nder section 14515llbl ol the Act. Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm Ihal no material matters have come lo my allenlion in conneclion with Ihe examination other than that disclosed below which gives me cause lo believe that in, any material respect.. Ihe accounting records were not kept in accordance wilh section 130 of the Charities Act.. or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records., Of the accounts did nol comply wilh the applicable requirements concerning the fom and content of accounts sel out in the Charilies (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any iequirement that Ihe accounts give a'lrue and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independenl examination. Signed: Date: 30 10 20 Name: Relevant professional qualificationls) or body {if any): ICAEW Address: 32 Slalion Road Rainham Kent ME87PH IER Oct 2018 Section B Dlsclostsre Only complete If the examiner needs to highlight material mallers of concern Isee CC32. Independent examination of charity ac¢ounls.' directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. Some aspects of the accounting records were incomplete and so we can therefore not confirm that the accounting fecords were kept in accordance with the requirements of section 130 of the Charilies Act. We have assisted with preparation of the accounts and feel Ihat . as a resum of this, the submitted riguTes now show a realistic representalion of the figures for the year as recorded in the financial records. IER Oct 2018