LAMBERHURST WAR MEMORIAL HALL TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR 2020
The trustees present their annual report for the year ended 31st December 2020
Charitable Objects
The object of the charity is the provision and maintenance of a village hall for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of Lamberhurst without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for meetings, lectures and classes, and for other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.
Charitable registration and governance
Lamberhurst War Memorial Hall is a registered charity, number 302781.
The hall stands on a freehold site held by Lamberhurst Parish Council as Custodian Trustee for the charity.
The charity is governed by a Charity Commission Scheme dated 1st October 1987. Under the scheme, the Committee of Management comprises representatives and up to three elected members, who are thus the trustees of the charity.
Officers and Committee Members who served during the year were as follows:
| Chairman | Mr J Uren |
|---|---|
| Vice Chairman | Mr C Stott |
| Treasurer | Mr F Trew |
| Secretary | Ms C Hamilton |
Representative Members
| Lamberhurst Parish Council | Mr R Smith |
|---|---|
| Lamberhurst Parochial Church Council | Mr J Reid |
| Lamberhurst and Bayham Royal British Legion | Mr A Kerton |
| Gardeners Association | Mr C Marshall |
| Lamberhurst Playing Fields Association | Mr J Uren |
| Local History Society | Mr J Uren |
| Pantomime Society | Mr C Stott |
| Lamberhurst Bonfire Society | Mr G White |
| Lamberhurst Community Cinema | Mr N Hepher |
| Elected Member No. 1 | Mrs S Taylor |
| Elected Member No. 2 | Mr F Trew |
The Committee may appoint additional members to represent any other organisation by resolution passed at a duly constituted meeting by not less than two thirds of the Members for the time being. The Committee meets 3-4 times a year, and holds an Annual General Meeting that all village members may attend.
LAMBERHURST WAR MEMORIAL HALL TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR 2020
Contact address
The charity may be contacted c/o the Chairman: Mr J Uren, 1 Tanyard Cottages, The Broadway, Lamberhurst, TN3 8DD or the Secretary: Ms C Hamilton, White Cottage, Free Heath Road, Hook Green, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 8LL.
Accounting Policies
As Lamberhurst War Memorial Hall is a “small” charity, advantage has been taken of exemption from the requirement to present full accruals accounts. Accordingly, the financial statements are presented as a receipts and payments account.
In the interest of consistency, and to enable a meaningful comparison to be made between one year and the next, the presentation has been modified to include debtors due for hall lettings and creditors for key deposits at the year end. These balances are shown, with the bank balances, at the bottom of the receipts and payments account.
REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES
2020
The Hall was closed at the end of the first quarter of the year because of pandemic restrictions. It remained closed to most users throughout the year. This had a severe impact on revenues which fell 49%. This would have been greater had the Lamberhurst Dance School not been able to continue to operate on a limited basis. However, income was boosted by a generous charitable donation and by Business Support Grants from the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Total income rose 18%. The level of hall hire charges remained unchanged overall though some new peak time charges were introduced.
On the expenditure side, the fall in spending reflected the impact of lower cost while the hall was closed and lower spending on projects. Mrs. Taylor remained in post as caretaker. Other than Mrs Taylor, no trustees were remunerated for their work. Volunteers undertook some essential decorating in the back changing room and small hall during August. Issues with damp and subsidence in the floor of the back changing room were discovered in the summer months and investigations to put this right are ongoing at the time of this report. The public lavatories remained licensed to the Lamberhurst Parish Council who manage them and meet the costs. With a surplus of £ 11,961 during the year, balances at year end stood at £18,181.
2021
At the time of writing the hall is closed and is unlikely to re-open fully before the autumn. The Hall Trustees anticipate the need for continuing expenditure on maintenance and improvements. This will involve the rearrangement and refurbishment of the internal space, the creation of more storage capacity and the installation of broadband. In due course volunteer help, grants and perhaps occasional fund-raising events will be necessary to fund this.
Risks and reserves
The committee has considered and taken steps to mitigate the risks arising from the management and use of the hall, for example in the area of health and safety, Covid regulations, litigation, fire and financial risks. The trustees’ policy is to hold sufficient reserves to deal with three months’ normal running costs for the hall (approximately £3,000) together
LAMBERHURST WAR MEMORIAL HALL TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR 2020
with a variable sum to deal with anticipated maintenance and refurbishment requirements and, additionally in the present circumstances, the impact of continuing hall closure.
Public Benefit
The trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission. Lamberhurst War Memorial Hall is available to members of the public, mainly those living in the Parish of Lamberhurst, and the charity thus serves that public benefit.
Francis Trew Treasurer
April 13th 2021
REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER TO THE TRUSTEES OF LAMBERHURST WAR MEMORIAL HALL
I report to the trustees on the accounts of the Lamberhurst War Memorial Hall for the year ended 31[st] December 2020, comprising a receipts and payments account modified by the inclusion of short-term debtors and creditors.
Responsibilities and basis of the 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
2. 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.
John Francis FCA DChA
The Vicarage, The Close, Corseley Road, Groombridge, TN3 9SE April 13th 2021
LAMBERHURST WAR MEMORIAL HALL
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2020
| ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2020 | 2019 | 2019 | |
| £ | £ |
£ |
£ | |
| Receipts | ||||
| Hall lettings | 6,460.32 | 12,746.14 | ||
| Interest | 15.92 | 29.75 | ||
| Parish Council reimbursement for Public Lavatories |
553.98 | 637.85 | ||
| Grants for hall refurbishment | - | 6,253.50 | ||
| Donations and Gift Aid | 5,000.00 | - | ||
| Borough Council grants | 11,334.00 | - | ||
| Other income | - | 200.00 | ||
| 23,364.22 | 19,867.24 | |||
| Payments | ||||
| Repairs, maintenance and improvements |
3,353.86 | 12,662.26 | ||
| Heating | 572.78 | 1,260.22 | ||
| Electricity | 700.85 | 789.74 | ||
| Cleaning and caretaking | 3,827.66 | 4,728.00 | ||
| Water and sewerage | 421.00 | 331.94 | ||
| Licences | 320.56 | 320.56 | ||
| Administration / miscellaneous | 224.80 | 166.80 | ||
| Insurance | 1,195.32 | 1,250.03 | ||
| Public Lavatories cleaning and maintenance |
785.92 | 637.85 | ||
| 11,402.75 | 22,147.40 | |||
| Surplus of income over expenditure for the year |
11,961.47 | ( 2,280.16) | ||
| Balances at 1st January 2020 | 6,175.70 | 8,455.86 | ||
| Balances at 31st December 2020 | 18,137.17 | 6,175.70 | ||
| Statement of Assets and liabilities | ||||
| Santander current account | 11,378.60 | 3,496.96 | ||
| Santander deposit account | 23.54 | 23.41 | ||
| COIF deposit account | 7,084.21 | 3,068.36 | ||
| Debtors | 81.82 | 165.32 | ||
| Parish Council payments in advance | - | ( 162.35) | ||
| Creditors - key deposits | ( 431.00) | ( 416.00) | ||
| 18,137.17 | 6,175.70 |
Approved by the Trustees on 13th April 2021 and signed on their behalf by Francis Trew, Treasurer