**LAMBERHURST WAR MEMORIAL HALL** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023** The trustees present their annual report for the year ended 31st December 2023 ## **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 C Stott_**| |---|---| |**_Vice Chairman_**|**_Mr J Uren_**| |**_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 Mr P Nicholas_**| |**_Lamberhurst Community Cinema_**|**_Mr N Hepher_**| |**_Elected Member No. 1_**|**_Mr S Tait_**| |**_Elected Member No. 2_**|**_Mr F Trew_**| |**_Elected Member No.3_**|**_Mr D Fordham_**| ## _**Representative Members**_ 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 AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023** ## **Contact address** The charity may be contacted c/o the Chairman: Mr C Stott, Horse and Groom Cottage, Old Town Hill, Lamberhurst, TN3 8EN 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** ## **2023** Mr Graham White stepped down as representative for the Bonfire Society and has not been replaced **.** Mr Peter Nicholas was appointed as an additional representative of the Pantomim **e Society.** Other than Mr Tait, the caretaker, no trustees were remunerated for their work. Charges were increased by approximately 10% for most hirers in July. New heating and lighting was installed in the main hall, at a cost of £16,700 and with the help of grants of £6,700 from the LoCase initiative and £8,000 (member’s grant) from KCC. A fundraising campaign was launched in April and a number of fundraising activities have resulted in a total of over £4,000 being raised in 2023 for further enhancement projects, notably the kitchen. In August the main hall was completely redecorated at a cost of £7,300 met from hall reserves. A significant contribution to the work was made by volunteers. During the year Income from hall hire at £10,600 rose 41% but remained below the pre-Covid level. With a deficit of £11,523 during the year, balances at year end fell to £16,370. ## **2024** The year to date has seen a further increase in income from hall hire. The Lamberhurst Dance School, the Community Cinema and the Pantomime Society continue to make significant use of the Hall. The Toddler group and the History Society have restarted and a new community “coffee and chat” group has begun meeting once a month. Two new commercial groups have started, a new Pilates group and another pre-school group “Fun Train”. On the expenditure side, we still experience rising utility costs. Also the flat roof of the hall is experiencing frequent leaks and the guarantee runs out this year. The roof will need to be replaced in due course at an estimated cost of £30,000. **LAMBERHURST WAR MEMORIAL HALL** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023** Fundraising continues for the hall improvements and, to date, the total raised during the past two years stands at £4,800. Further activities are planned throughout the year. It is hoped eventually to find grants to refurbish the kitchen and toilets and to renew and repurpose redundant areas behind the hall, notably for storage. ## **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, 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 with a variable sum to deal with anticipated maintenance and refurbishment requirements. ## **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** ………………………………….. 2024 ## **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 2023, 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: 1. 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_ 3, East Hill, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6RL …………………………………………. 2024 ## **LAMBERHURST WAR MEMORIAL HALL** ## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023** |**Receipts**
Hall lettings
Interest
Parish Council reimbursement for
Public Lavatories
Donations and fundraising
Borough & County Council grants
Insurance claim
**Payments**
Repairs, maintenance and
improvements
Heating
Electricity
Cleaning and caretaking
Water and sewerage
Licences
Administration / miscellaneous
Insurance
Public Lavatories cleaning and
maintenance
Balances at 1st January 2023
**Balances at 31st December 2023**
**representing:**
General Fund
Reserves for improvement projects
**Total funds**
**Statement of Assets and liabilities**
Santander current account
Santander deposit account
COIF deposit account
Debtors
Creditors - key deposits
**Surplus (deficit) of income over**
**expenditure for the year**|**2023**
**£**
31,752.51
1,231.01
1,480.74
4,532.00
336.65
430.56
259.40
1,554.74
627.60|**2023**
**2022**
**£**
**£**
10,597.79
637.72
602.63
4,135.36
14,707.76
-
30,681.26
28,199.12
1,089.04
946.06
4,352.00
143.00
320.56
232.80
1,655.38
4,409.98
42,205.21
( 11,523.95)
27,893.84
16,369.89
12,316.51
4,053.38
16,369.89
2,196.50
3,077.01
10,870.13
607.25
( 381.00)
16,369.89|**2022**
**£**
7,494.29
161.75
2,969.96
-
9,517.00
15,524.00| |---|---|---|---| ||||35,667.00
41,347.94| ||||| ||||( 5,680.94)
33,574.78| ||||27,893.84| ||||27,893.84
-| ||||27,893.84| ||||5,472.63
23.54
22,246.79
531.88
( 381.00)| ||||27,893.84| Presented to the Trustees on …....................... by Francis Trew, Treasurer