ASHTEAD PEACE MEMORIAL HALL
Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall Registered Charity number 304968
Woodfield Lane,
Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 2BE
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Report of the Trustees
_____
Reference and administrative information
The Trustees
| Mr Ray Cane | **Representng ** | Ashtead U3A |
| Mrs Tanya McArthur | Representng | Woodfeld Entertainers (from March 2024) |
| Mrs Jennie Beck | **Representng ** | **Ashtead Choral Society ** |
| Mrs Rachel Pearson | **Representng ** | Ashtead Players |
| Cllr Gerry Sevenoaks | **Representng ** | Mole Valley District Council |
| Mrs Gill Northcot | Representng | Ashtead Flower Arrangement Group (Resigned November 24) |
| Mrs Fiona Porter | Representng | Ashtead Women’s Insttute (from March 2024) |
| **Mrs Diane Strling ** | **Representng ** | Ashtead Residents’ Associaton |
| Mrs Pam Ventham-Smith | **Representng ** | Friends of Ashtead Village Hall |
| Mr Nigel Arch | **Representng ** | The Arts Society Ashtead |
| **Mrs Jane Hiley ** | Elected | |
| Mr Tony Williams | Elected | |
| Mr Derek Harwood | Elected | |
| Mrs Pat Reynolds | Co-opted | |
| **Mr Simon Ling ** | Co-opted | |
| Mrs Jean Law | Co-opted | |
| Mrs Pauline Score | Co-opted | From November 2024 |
The Executive Committee (Officers)
| Chairman | **Mrs Jane Hiley ** |
| **Secretary ** | Vacant |
| Treasurer | Mr Tony Williams |
| Maintenance Co-ordinator | Mr Derek Harwood |
Staff
| Facilites Manager | **Mr Clif Kemp ** |
| Booking Manager | **Mrs Ginny Leary ** |
| Relief Caretaker | **Mr Mark Evans ** |
Independent Financial Examiner
Mrs Elisabeth Storey FCA
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Structure, Governance and Management
The Hall is governed in accordance with The Charities Act 2011; a Trust Deed of 1926 (as amended by a Scheme of 1937; a Scheme of 1962; a Supplemental Order of 1974 and a Memorandum of Amendments of 2009). The Governing Document, first published in 2007, is not a legal document but it incorporates all the intentions of the above and functions as the governing document of the charity. During 2015 this Governing Document was reviewed, updated and approved by the Trustees. It was revisited in 2020 and approved again. It will be revisited in 2025.
The Hall is managed by a Committee of Management consisting of up to 12 (Representative) Trustees nominated by user organisations, up to 4 (Elected) Trustees elected by Ashtead residents at the AGM and up to 4 (Co-opted) Trustees co-opted by the Committee. The names of the Trustees serving in the year are noted on page 2. The Committee of Management annually elects their officers - Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and Maintenance Co-ordinator, and delegates to them day-to-day responsibility for running the Hall (Executive Committee). The names of the Officers serving in the year are noted on page 2. Permanent staff of the Hall are the Facilities Manager, Bookings Manager, and one or two Relief Caretakers. The Bar is managed independently by a Franchisee, currently Mr George Gregory.
Object of the Trust and Public Benefit
The original Trust Deed of 1926 states that the Hall shall be “used in perpetuity for the benefit of the inhabitants of the said Parish of Ashtead”. In practice this means that the Trustees “own” the Hall but only for maintaining it for the benefit of residents. It is a legal requirement under the Charities Act 2011 that this report demonstrates that there is a significant public benefit deriving from the Trustees’ activities. The benefit in this case is that the Hall is maintained, and the facilities are used by many different organisations, each of which satisfies its own public benefit requirements. The objects of these user organisations cover a variety of the charitable purposes described in the Charities Act including, but not limited to, the advancement of education and training, the advancement of health or of saving lives, sport & recreation and the advancement of the arts, culture, heritage, or science. This results in a public benefit to a wide cross-section of the local Community. The Charity Trustees have therefore complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit.
Trustees’ Remuneration
All Trustees give of their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefits.
Financial Review
The Treasurer’s Report and the Accounts of the Trust are set out on pages 5 to 11.
Policy on Reserves
The Trustees have decided to maintain a general contingency reserve of approximately six months expenditure to cover the risk that the Hall must close for a period; for the present they have decided on £50,000. In addition, funds have been set aside to prepare for ongoing costs.
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Chairman’s Report for the year 2024
2024 was a very special year – our centenary – and we celebrated in style during the year, in particular at two weekends 21[st] – 22[nd] June and 21[st] – 22[nd] September, marking the laying of the foundation stone and the opening of the hall to the public.
The June weekend began with a wonderful Schools Festival where six local schools took part and brought much fun and laughter to the hall. They maypole danced, sang and read poetry, made music and told their stories and brought many people to the hall who might not otherwise have been visitors.
Local regular entertainers put on events and the Friends Dinner was also a special celebration. Displays were available to show the activities of users of the hall and some groups reported getting new members as a consequence. The wide variety of arts and crafts displayed at the September weekend was a testimony to the creativity of so many people in Ashtead. The weekends culminated in a centenary tea for invited guests to thank them for their wonderful support over the years. This was mainly for Trustees and former Trustees and staff and former staff alongside invited guests who play a significant role locally in supporting the community.
The key part of the celebration was the target to raise awareness of our “Go Green” policy and to raise £1,000 for every year that the hall has been in use i.e. £100,000. I am delighted to report that through the generosity of many individuals and organisations we have already reached over halfway to the goal. We will continue towards the target as we have many things to do to achieve our aim to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Following a generous grant from Mole Valley District Council we were also able to achieve one of our special visions for the “Go Green” agenda and put solar panels on the roof as well as two batteries in the hall store. This means that we are able to reduce energy costs as well as improving our carbon footprint. Solar panels had been a long-held item on our wish list and we are very grateful to those who made this possible.
Other activities continued as usual during the year and our fundraising efforts and special events made a big contribution to the normal running of the hall and the maintenance of the building. We are very grateful to all those who contributed to these efforts especially the Trustees and their families and friends.
During the year we also chose to replace the bench outside the hall which had been dedicated to Mary Whipp MBE. That bench had become unsafe for people to use and so, to celebrate and mark our centenary, it was replaced by a bench made by members of the Royal British Legion.
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
The British legion played a big part during our 100 years and the new bench with its silhouettes and sign – Lest we forget – was deemed very appropriate to value those who served their country.
As we now look forward to 2025 we will be continuing with our aim to “Go Green” intending to become carbon neutral if possible. This involves further insulation of the hall and replacing the lighting in sections with LED lights and there will be a need to replace the gas boiler and cooking appliances over the next few years.
Some new Trustees have been welcomed to the hall and this adds to the variety of ideas and projects which go on our wish list. However, we have yet to find the right person to become our secretary. This is a vital role and we are actively seeking someone with the skills and vision for the future of the hall to join our Executive Committee. We hope that 2025 will be the year when this person comes forward.
Meanwhile we express our thanks to all who have supported us over the past year, in particular the Friends of the Village Hall, and we hope that this encouragement and support will continue for many years to come.
Jane Hiley Chairman Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall 5 March 2025
Financial Review
Income from lettings, deposits and storage (LDS) during the year was significantly higher than in 2023 at £92,350 (2023 - £85,000), continuing the strong recovery from the covid years. Income from the bar, however, was only modestly greater than the previous year, the total from payments from both the franchisee and hirers being around £4,300 (2023 - £4,100).
Fundraising was a key aim during our 100[th] anniversary year to raise money for our “green” projects. A total of £18,851 was received in donations, including some generous donations from supporters. Included in this total was £6,751 from the Friends of Ashtead Village Hall towards the cost of a number of projects - a replacement fridge/freezer for the kitchen, replacement of the lights in the Ralli Room with more efficient LED lights, and the replacement bench outside the Hall. Three fundraising events were held, raising a total of £3,737 after expenses. Special mugs celebrating the 100[th] anniversary were sold.
Bank interest rates remained higher than they have been in recent years, bringing in £4,994 (2023 – 3,401).
On the expenditure side, we have seen our electricity costs begin to reduce as a result of the installation of solar panels and batteries. Other utility costs remained at a similar level. However,
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
we can expect to see an increase in our gas costs going forward as a result of our previous longterm fixed price contract moving onto a higher rate.
Planned maintenance was significantly lower than previously. This was the result of us being let down by the contractor who cleans and polishes the Hall floors. We were unable to find another contractor to carry out this work in the time available, so that expenditure was not incurred last year. Expenditure on furniture and equipment was higher than normal as a number of items needed to be replaced during the year.
There was a one-off expenditure on the celebrations for the 100[th] Anniversary of the Hall, comprising publicity materials and the special events held over two weekends, as referred to in the Chairman’s report.
The Hall aims to budget so that income from day-to-day activities makes a small surplus over operating costs, which enables us to set aside funds towards occasional major items of expenditure. In the event, there was an operating profit (i.e. the difference between receipts from LDS and the bar and operating expenditure) of £16,661 in 2024. This was larger than in previous years and was the result of higher LDS income but also the reduction in planned maintenance costs referred to above.
Overall throughout the year the Hall’s funds have increased by £39,896. This is a very strong result and reflects the generous support of the community. It puts us in a good position to invest in the future of the Hall and to set aside funds for the various projects that the Trustees would like to pursue (eg improving insulation), as well as having sufficient available for major expenses that may occur (eg replacement of the gas boiler).
Tony Williams Hon Treasurer 5 March 2025
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year to 31 December 2024
| Notes | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Income and receipts | |||
| Letngs, deposits and storage | 92,350 | 85,000 | |
| Bar | 1 | 2,240 | 2,115 |
| Sub-total | 94,590 | 87,115 |
|
| Fundraising and other income | |||
| Fund raising actvites (gross) | 2 | 6,454 | 4,632 |
| Interest on bank and deposit accounts | 4,994 | 3,401 | |
| Donatons | 3 | 18,851 | 9,603 |
| Grants | 4 | 36,304 | - |
| Other Income | 106 | 46 | |
| Sub-total | 66,709 | 17,682 |
|
| Total Income | 161,299 | 104,797 | |
| Payments: Operatng expenditure | |||
| Salaries and payroll costs | 38,429 | 36,378 | |
| Utlites | 5 | 14,692 | 15,170 |
| Hall maintenance | 6 | 12,783 | 12,736 |
| Administraton | 840 | 1,682 | |
| Local authority charges | 2,449 | 2,435 | |
| Insurances | 4,778 | 4,540 | |
| Performing rights fees | 1,972 | 1,943 | |
| 100thAnniversary Expenses | 1,891 | - | |
| Sundries | 95 | 551 | |
| Total operatng expenditure | 77,929 | 75,435 | |
| Payments: Improvements and fundraising | |||
| Hall improvements | 7 | 41,697 | 8,093 |
| Fundraising costs | 2 | 1,777 | 1,520 |
| Total improvements and fundraising expenditure | 43,474 | 9,613 | |
| Total payments | 121,403 | 85,048 | |
| Net increase (decrease) in funds | 39,896 | 19,749 | |
| Add: Bank balances at 1 January | 102,908 | 83,159 | |
| Total Bank balances at 31 December | 142,804 | 102,908 |
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Statement of Assets at 31 December 2024
| Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall | Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall | Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall | Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statement of Assets at 31 December 2024 | |||
| Notes | 2024 | ||
| 2023 | |||
| £ | £ | ||
| Fixed assets | |||
| Permanent endowment: | |||
| Freehold property and buildings of the APMH | 8 | 2,626,000 | 2,626,000 |
| Current assets | |||
| COIF deposit account | 134,188 | 84,194 | |
| Barclays account | 8,616 | 18,714 | |
| Total bank balances | 9,10 | 142,804 | 102,908 |
| Total net assets | 2,768,804 | 2,728,908 | |
The notes on pages 9 to 11 form part of these accounts.
For and on behalf of the Committee of Management
Anthony J Williams Hon. Treasurer
5 March 2025
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024
- The figure for bar income represents payments received from the licensee. Total income from the bar, including both these payments and bar hire charges paid by hirers as part of their booking fees, came to approximately £4,300.
2. Fund raising activities
| Event | £ Gross | £ Costs | £ Net | Costs/Gross % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afernoon Tea (February) | 1,401 | 123 | 1,278 | 9 |
| Evening with Chris Luscombe (October) |
1,536 | 527 | 1,009 | 34 |
| Quiz (November) | 1,750 | 300 | 1,450 | 17 |
| Sale of Anniversary Mugs | 1,767 | 827 | 940 | 47 |
| Totals | 6,454 | 1,777 | 4,677 | 28 |
3. The following donations were received:
-
The Friends of Ashtead Village Hall, totaling £6,751
-
Donations from individuals and groups towards the “Go Green” fund (including Gift Aid where appropriate), totaling £11,235
-
Other miscellaneous donations, totaling £865
4. Grants
A grant of £36,304 was received from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Community Hall Energy Efficiency Grant Scheme via Mole Valley District Council for the installation of solar panels and battery storage.
5. Utilities
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Utlity | £ | £ |
| Gas | 4,787 | 4,616 |
| Electricity | 5,135 | 6,009 |
| Water | 1,187 | 1,089 |
| Telephone and communicatons | 1,017 | 1,054 |
| Waste | 2,566 | 2,402 |
| Totals | 14,692 | 15,170 |
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
6. Hall maintenance
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Item | £ | £ |
| Planned maintenance | 3,473 | 5,497 |
| Unplanned maintenance | 3,023 | 4,353 |
| Consumables | 2,556 | 1,586 |
| Furniture and equipment | 3,731 | 1,300 |
| Totals | 12,783 | 12,736 |
7. Hall Improvements
The major improvement carried out during the year was the installation of solar panels and battery storage at a total cost of £37,309. This was funded from the grant of £36,304 received from the UKSPF Community Hall Energy Efficiency Grant Scheme, with the balance from “Go Green” fundraising. The lighting in the Ralli Room was upgraded to LED, at a cost of £3,487. A memorial bench was purchased for outside the Hall (£900). Both these latter items were funded by donations from the Friends of Ashtead Village Hall.
-
Freehold property. As recommended by the Charity Commissioners, the freehold property of the Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall, being an asset of the charity, is included in these accounts. The value shown is the cost of rebuilding, exclusive of VAT and fees, as estimated for insurance purposes by valuers J P N Lowe Insurance Surveys Ltd in March 2022. The next valuation for insurance purposes is due in or around March 2025.
-
As at 31 December 2024, these balances included the following reserves and funds:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| General contngency reserve | 50,000 |
| Caretaker’s fat refurbishment | 6,000 |
| Roof renewal fund | 10,000 |
| Fire security system | 10,000 |
| Boiler replacement | 30,000 |
| Insulaton | 20,000 |
| Other “green” projects | 14,000 |
| Total reserves and funds | 140,000 |
The reserves and funds listed above are provisions towards significant areas of expenditure that are likely to arise in the future. They are, however, undesignated and funds may be allocated to meet the expenditure of the Hall as necessary.
- The charity has one restricted income fund – the “Go Green” fund. As at 31 December 2024 the balance remaining in this fund amounted to £10,230, which will be used for future green initiatives. This fund is included in the overall bank balances recorded in the accounts.
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Accounting policies
These accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance with the Charity Commission’s Guides CC15 (Charity Reporting) and CC16 (Receipts and Payments Accounts Pack).
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
| Report to the trustees/ members of |
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall | Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall | Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall |
|---|---|---|---|
| On accounts for the year ended |
31 December 2024 | Charity no | 304968 |
| Set out on pages | 7 to 11 | ||
| Responsibilities and basis of report |
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2024. 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 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 which gives me cause to believe that, in any material respect: • accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or • the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. |
||
| Signed: | E A Storey | Date: | 6 March 2025 |
| Name: | Mrs Elisabeth Storey | ||
| Relevant professional qualification: |
FCA | ||
| Address: | 29 Barrett Road, Fetcham, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 9HL |
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Annual Report and Accounts 2024