BARRINGTON VILLAGE HALL & PLAYING FIELD (Charity No. 304474)
Trustees report by Colin Stevens for the AGM on Thursday 26[th] May 2022.
The Trustees serving throughout the last year, ie from 14[th] June 2021 or from/until dates listed below were as follows:
Colin Stevens - Chair Felicity Murray - Vice Chair Claire Lewis- Secretary Lyn Julyan - Treasurer Ray Ede Mal Eustice (joined April 2022) Laura Sheriff Suzanne Weekes (Joined October 2021) Tom McKnight – Maintenance (resigned January 2022) Jenn Hodge (Rama Life- resigned November 2021)
Changes of Trustees
There have been some changes of Trustees during the last year with Tom McKnight and Jenn Hodge resigning and Suzanne Weekes and Mal Eustice joining the team. Our thanks are extended to both Tom and Jenn for their invaluable input during their time as trustees.
Other regular volunteers Amanda Gould - Bookings Secretary Marc Julyan Lyn & Rob Stenner Bev Tratt - 100 Club Graham Weekes
Meetings
Regular monthly meetings were held throughout the year, minutes of each meeting are compiled and held by the Secretary and circulated to all Trustees. All Trustees and volunteers are thanked for their time and commitment in what has been a busy and exciting year following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
Fundraising Events & Covid-19 Pandemic
Following the gradual lifting of Government Covid-19 restrictions in the summer/autumn of 2021 almost all our regular hirers returned to the hall, additionally some new hirers have started with us. There have also been other one-off event bookings and fundraising events laid on by the Trustees including an extremely successful Bonfire Night, New Year’s Eve Party and 60’s & 70’s Night. Particular thanks go to Suzanne Weekes for her huge commitment in organising these events.
The monthly Community Coffee Mornings were resumed in October, albeit without most of the previous produce stallholders, some of whom were still reluctant to venture out due to the pandemic or felt that the ‘Produce Market’ was no longer viable for them. It remains to be seen whether we can get the former stallholders back or attract enough new ones to run
it as a Produce Market, however the Trustees feel that the Community Coffee Morning remains an important community event for some of the village residents so it will continue as it is with fewer stallholders.
Other planned fundraising events for 2022 include a Skittles Night on Sat 11[th] June, a Quiz Night on Sat 9[th] July, a possible Halloween Party, and a New Year’s Eve Party.
Maintenance
Following Tom McKnight’s resignation in February 22, Colin Stevens has temporarily taken on the Trustee Maintenance role, with help from Ray Ede, Rob Stenner and Marc Julyan. Generally everything is in reasonably good order however there are always ongoing items to attend to. Re-staining of the front and rear windows and doors that have started to deteriorate is being carried out shortly at a cost of £954.21. It is not anticipated there will be any other major hall maintenance costs in the next year.
Lyle Room & Alcohol Licence
Following Little Levels Pre-school and subsequently Rama Life leaving in April 2020 and November 2021 respectively, Rooms 1, 2 and 3 on the first floor became available. From previous experience during the vacant period between the Pre-school and Rama Life bookings, there was little or no interest in hiring these rooms to make it viable, therefore a decision was made to convert them into a community village bar/function room, named The Lyle Room and to obtain an Alcohol Licence for the hall. Both initiatives have proved to be a major success and a valuable community space. Although the Lyle Room only opens on Friday and Sunday evenings it has been very popular and is regularly well attended by many Barrington village residents, also residents from other nearby villages and beyond. There are already four private function bookings to date for 2022.
Particular thanks must go to Suzanne Weekes and Graham Weekes for their overall vision, decorative flair, and hard work in creating this superb facility in record time, ably assisted by our regular volunteers Rob Stenner, Marc Julyan and Tom McKnight amongst others, all of whom kindly gave their time freely which of course greatly reduced the conversion costs. Additionally, the Alcohol Licence has been a success, giving us scope to run bars for events in the main hall without obtaining TEN licences from SSDC each time.
Car Park extension
The village hall lacks adequate parking facilities and currently only has 14 car parking spaces which is simply inadequate for a hall of its size. There are occasions when hall attendees’ cars spill over onto the roadside through the village, potentially causing safety issues, and we also lose some potential hirers due to lack of parking facilities. In 2018/19 the former Trustees had started to investigate converting the grass overspill parking area at the front to a hard standing car park with an additional 13/14 spaces, but this was not progressed at the time. Since the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have been lifted, we have obtained updated quotations for two different surfaces, these were tarmac, or a contained gravel system called Bodpave. However, both were cost prohibitive, the quotes received were between £26,628 and £47,520 therefore we have investigated a cheaper but functional option which is simply a deep hardstanding foundation topped with loose Cotswold Stone.
*It is important to install the deep hardstanding base foundation to give the future option to change the loose surface stone with another type of top surface finish eg tarmac or brick pavers, if and when affordable.
We intend to carry out this work as much as possible ‘inhouse’ and the estimated costs (prior to recent steep material price rises) were in the region of £10,000. Thanks, are also extended to Barrington Parish Councill who have agreed the surplus earth (spoil) can be dumped onto the existing earth mound in the top corner of the rear playing field, this saves the cost of hauling away with HGV lorries, reducing emissions and is much more environmentally friendly.
The Trustees feel this car park extension is affordable (even if costs rise by the time the works are carried out) and will benefit the hall long term, therefore the works have been planned for late summer/ early autumn this year.
100 Club
The 100 Club continues to be run very successfully by Bev Tratt and is an excellent fundraiser for the hall, raising a total of £982 during 2021, with the same sum £982 being awarded as prize money to members. We have just increased our membership numbers a little, taking 1[st] prize to £50 per month! Many thanks as always to Bev for her time and patience in operating it.
Fete - Saturday 20[th] August 2022
Plans are well underway for this year’s Fete on Saturday 20[th] August, also the evening social event at the hall. A small subcommittee has been formed, headed by Suzanne Weekes and supported by Colin Stevens and Felicity Murray.
A lot of help will be required immediately before to set up, and of course on the day to run stalls, also in clearing up afterwards so volunteers from the village are sought, please contact any of the above if you can help in any way.
BARIUNGTON VILLAGE HALL AND PLAYING FIELD INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021 2021 2020 INCOME DonatlOn8 1 8cies and other similar recei South Somer5et District Council grnnt. 100 Club and donations 8,000 10,272 eratin aetivities to raise funds Bookings, healing & equipment hire Electricity feed-in tariff Fete & Other fund raising events 6,921 7,266 9.686 543 Other recei Wayleave Road maintenance fund Bank interest 240 26 Total Ineome 25,920 19227 EXPF.NSES Fund Cyeneratin 100 Club prizes Fete & Other fund raising expenses ments 55 201 4,049 Charitable Equipment Maintenance Cleaning & materials Oil, electricity & water Insurance Donations dministration Licences and subscriptions Bank Charges Other administrative expenses ments 489 3.763 ,873 3,179 209 1.248 2,344 3.283 ,277 653 363 1,709 545 Total Ex llditllre 16.715 9,525 Net Income for the Year
BARRINGTON VtLLAGE HALL AND PLAYING FIELD Inde Field endent examiner's re rt to the trustees of Barrin on Vill e Hall and Pla in I report on the accounts of the hall for the year ended 31 December 2021 which are set out on Pages l and 2. Respective responsibilities of tThstees and examiner The Charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity's trustees Consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2} of the Charities Act 2011 {the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: Examine the accounts under seciion 145 of the 2011 Acl. To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5Xb) of the 2011 Act- and To state wheiher particular matters have comc to My attention. B8$is of independent examiner's statement My examinaiion was carried oul in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. li also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audiL and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view, and the report is limiled to those malters sel oul in the slatement below. Independent examiDer's statement In the course of my examination, no mat*r has come to my attention; ( l ) which gives me reasonable cause to believe thal, in any material respecL the requirements: o lo keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 o to prepare accounls which accord with the accounting records and comply with the a¢countin8 requirements of the 2011 Act. have not been rnet. or (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reach. D R PARSONS PARSONS & COMPANY 61 High Street Addlestone Sutrey KT 24 May 2022