ASHTEAD PEACE MEMORIAL HALL
Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall Registered Charity number 304968
Woodfield Lane,
Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 2BE
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Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Report of the Trustees
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Reference and administrative information
The Trustees
| Mr Ray Cane | **Representng ** | Ashtead U3A |
| Mrs Tanya McArthur | **Representng ** | Woodfeld Entertainers |
| Mrs Jennie Beck | **Representng ** | **Ashtead Choral Society ** |
| Mrs Rachel Pearson | **Representng ** | Ashtead Players |
| Cllr Gerry Sevenoaks | **Representng ** | Mole Valley District Council |
| Mrs Fiona Porter | **Representng ** | Ashtead Women’s Insttute |
| Mrs Diane Strling | Representng | Ashtead Residents’ Associaton (resigned December 2025) |
| Mrs Pam Ventham-Smith | **Representng ** | Friends of Ashtead Village Hall |
| Mr Nigel Arch | **Representng ** | The Arts Society Ashtead |
| Mrs Pauline Score | Representng | Ashtead Flower Arrangement Group |
| Mr Scot McPherson | Representng | Ashtead Hortcultural Society (from January 2026) |
| **Mrs Jane Hiley ** | Elected | |
| Mr Tony Williams | Elected | |
| Mr Derek Harwood | Elected | |
| Mrs Pat Reynolds | Co-opted | |
| Mrs Jean Law | Co-opted | |
| Mr Philip Davies | Co-opted | From January 2026 |
The Executive Committee (Officers)
| Chairman | **Mrs Jane Hiley ** |
| **Secretary ** | Vacant |
| Treasurer | Mr Tony Williams |
| Maintenance Co-ordinator | Mr Derek Harwood |
Staf |
|
|---|---|
| Facilites Manager | **Mr Clif Kemp ** |
| Booking Manager | **Mrs Ginny Leary ** |
| Relief Caretaker | Mr James Sudbury |
Independent Financial Examiner
Mrs Elisabeth Storey FCA
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Annual Report and Accounts 2025
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 was again revisited in 2025 and approved.
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 well 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 8 to 12.
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 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Chairman’s Report for the year 2025
During 2025 we built on the success of our centenary year and the work being done towards our “Go Green” target of net zero by 2030. We were very grateful for all the financial support being given by individuals and groups as well as the grants received. Our Treasurer gives more details of these things in his report.
The Executive group – Chairman, Treasurer and Maintenance Co-ordinator, have met with two of the staff weekly throughout the year to ensure the smooth running of the hall. The Trustees have met monthly to give and receive feedback and to make suggestions on the future plans for the hall, as well as considering the needs of all staff, the regular user groups and other hirers.
One main activity focus has been on our “Go Green” project, replacing the lights in a planned programme with LED lighting and in insulating the flat above the hall - which also has some effect on the sound passing up from the hall to the flat - and also other necessary maintenance work to keep the hall in the splendid condition which can be seen today.
Summer of 2025 was the time when we employed Surrey Wood Flooring to do a major resurface of all the wooden floors. This had been missed during the previous year due to the absence of our usual contractor. In the end this has proved very satisfactory as it is now expected that the floors will not need such a major overhaul for a few years.
Another major item was the introduction of the new fire alarm system. The previous system was outdated and did not include the flat and was therefore considered no longer fit for purpose. The new system is maintained by the Facilities Manager and regularly monitored, alongside the solar panel productivity.
The Trustees followed up the initial steps of the energy project through the work of the energy group and through continuing to focus on all aspects of carbon reduction. The recycling of waste, including food waste and glass, have been important as well as insulation and draught proofing etc. This work will continue in the summer of 2026 with the replacement of the suspended ceiling in the main hall and new insulation and LED lighting being installed.
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Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Our aim to become net zero was also acknowledged by Mole Valley as we won the Sustainability Award for Energy for which we are very grateful. It has given us new incentive to keep on following the path suggested from our ESOS Energy report of 2023. We have also received some generous grants to help us reach our goals.
The final decisions regarding how to replace the gas fired heating are yet to be made but the Trustees are committed to sustainability in all practical ways for the hall.
In addition to this planned work towards net zero we have continued with general maintenance, including upgrading of the sound system in the Ralli room. We also refurbished the office and front foyer and toilets in our ongoing programme. We are very grateful to the Friends of the Village Hall for their invaluable assistance in funding this project.
During the Autumn term of 2025 our Treasurer of many years made his choice that this would be the last year he serves APMH as Treasurer and we therefore looked for a replacement. Two new Trustees were found: one to replace the missing Horticultural Society representative and the other as deputy Treasurer to work alongside Tony until March 2026 when he retires.
We are so grateful to all those who serve the community of Ashtead by being Trustees at the hall. Their contributions are much appreciated and it is acknowledged that without them we would not be able to keep this wonderful facility going for the village and its people.
Thank you so much to everyone who has taken part in the multitude of activities and events at the hall and we wish everyone a successful 2026.
Jane Hiley
Chairman Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
4 February 2026
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Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Financial Review
2025 was a very active year from a financial point of view.
Income from lettings, deposits and storage (LDS) during the year was very similar to that for 2024 at £92,010 (2024 - £92,350). There was a slight reduction in the income from commercial hirers and private bookings, but an increase in income from clubs and societies which made up the difference. However, the differences are not sufficient to draw any conclusions about longer-term trends and the overall level of bookings remains at a very healthy level. Income from the bar, however, was down on 2024, the total from payments from both the franchisee and hirers being around £3,480 (2024 - £4,300).
For various reasons fundraising activity was significantly lower in 2025 than previously, with only one event being organised raising a net total of £792, compared with £4,677 in 2024. The level of donations was also lower than in 2024 at £7,092 compared with £18,851. However, this was to be expected as 2024 was our 100[th] anniversary year when there was a particular focus on fundraising. The largest donation was from the Friends of Ashtead Village Hall who contributed £5,691 towards the costs of installing LED lights in the front part of the building, together with the refurbishment of the office and replacement equipment. The trustees are very grateful to the Friends for their continued support.
We were fortunate to receive a grant of £14,140 from Surrey County Council’s Your Fund Surrey Small Community Fund. We are grateful to Councillor Chris Townsend for supporting this grant, which was used towards the installation of LED lights, insulation, and a new fire detection system.
Bank interest rates remained at a relatively high level, bringing in £5,588 (2024 – 4,994). We may expect rates to decline over the next year and this, together with a reduction in our forecast funds which are planned to be spent on our major project this year, are likely to result in a lower level of return in 2026.
Expenditure on utilities was slightly lower than in 2024. This year was the first full year of seeing the benefits from having solar panels installed. Our electricity costs have reduced significantly as a result, being only £2,350 in 2025. In the last full year without panels – 2023 – our expenditure on electricity was £6,009, which illustrates the significant effect. However, expenditure on electricity will increase later in 2026 as our previous fixed-rate contract comes to an end and we move on to a higher rate. As noted in last year’s report, gas costs also increased in 2025 as a result of moving on to a higher rate. Other utility costs remained at a similar level to previously.
Planned maintenance costs were significantly greater than normal. As noted last year, we were let down by our previous contractor who cleans and polishes the Hall floors. The work required this year was therefore more significant than in the past, and the decision was made to do a major refurbishment of the floors. It is expected, however, that similar work will not need to be carried out for a few years.
Unplanned maintenance was also much higher than in previous years. Apart from normal ongoing routine maintenance costs such as clearing blocked drains, minor painting etc, there were a
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Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
number of more significant items of expenditure. The water boiler in the kitchen failed and needed to be replaced at a cost of £1,099. A problem was identified with the ventilation system in the kitchen which was not extracting air at a sufficiently high rate. This necessitated a full cleaning and refurbishment of the system at a cost of £798. Following the installation of LED lighting it was realised that the front of the building (office, porch, lobby and toilets) were badly in need of redecoration and this was carried out at a cost of £4,080.
Expenditure on furniture and equipment was also higher than previously. As well as normal routine items as a result of wear and tear, some new tables and chairs suitable for use by children were purchased at a cost of £2,054. These have been well received by the various children’s parties that have taken place through the year. We also replaced a ladder which had become defective at a cost of £432, replaced some of the office furniture and equipment at a cost of £639 and installed a new hand drier in the ladies toilets at the rear of the building at a cost of £213.
A number of significant improvements were made to the Hall’s infrastructure, including an upgrade to the sound equipment in the Ralli Room, a new fire alarm system, the completion of the installation of LED lighting throughout the building (apart from in the main Hall), and some insulation work at the rear of the building. These, and the associated costs, are detailed in the notes to the accounts.
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, we did not quite manage to achieve this in 2025, there being a small operating deficit (i.e. the difference between receipts from LDS and the bar and operating expenditure) of £145. However, given the unusually high levels of expenditure on maintenance, this is not a cause for concern.
Looking forward, the major item of expenditure in 2026 will be the replacement of the suspended ceiling in the main Hall, with installation of improved insulation and LED lighting. The total cost of this is expected to be of the order of £79,000. We have been awarded grants towards this work totalling £35,000. The remaining £44,000 has been earmarked within our overall funds, as detailed in note 9 of the accounts. This project is therefore fully affordable.
Overall, therefore, the finances of the Hall remain very strong and we are in a good position going forward to continue to invest in its future.
Tony Williams Hon Treasurer
4 February 2026
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Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year to 31 December 2025
| Notes | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Income and receipts | |||
| Letngs, deposits and storage | 92,010 | 92,350 | |
| Bar | 1 | 1,780 | 2,240 |
| Sub-total | 93,790 | 94,590 | |
| Fundraising and other income | |||
| Fund raising actvites (gross) | 2 | 969 | 6,454 |
| Interest on bank and deposit accounts | 5,588 | 4,994 | |
| Donatons | 3 | 7,092 | 18,851 |
| Grants | 4 | 14,140 | 36,304 |
| Other Income | 585 | 106 | |
| Sub-total | 28,374 | 66,709 | |
| Total Income | 122,164 | 161,299 | |
| Payments: Operatng expenditure | |||
| Salaries and payroll costs | 40,729 | 38,429 | |
| Utlites | 5 | 14,386 | 14,692 |
| Hall maintenance | 6 | 29,275 | 12,783 |
| Administraton | 352 | 840 | |
| Local authority charges | 3,055 | 2,449 | |
| Insurance | 4,783 | 4,778 | |
| Performing rights fees | 1,185 | 1,972 | |
| 100thAnniversary Expenses | - | 1,891 | |
| Sundries | 170 | 95 | |
| Total operatng expenditure | 93,935 | 77,929 | |
| Payments: Improvements and fundraising | |||
| Hall improvements | 7 | 22,390 | 41,697 |
| Fundraising costs | 2 | 177 | 1,777 |
| Total improvements and fundraising expenditure | 22,567 | 43,474 | |
| Total payments | 116,502 | 121,403 | |
| Net increase (decrease) in funds | 5,662 | 39,896 | |
| Add: Bank balances at 1 January | 142,804 | 102,908 | |
| Total Bank balances at 31 December | 148,466 | 142,804 |
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Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Statement of Assets at 31 December 2025
| Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall | Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall | Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall | Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statement of Assets at 31 December 2025 | |||
| Notes | 2025 | ||
| 2024 | |||
| £ | £ | ||
| Fixed assets | |||
| Permanent endowment: | |||
| Freehold property and buildings of the APMH | 8 | 3,154,000 | 2,626,000 |
| Current assets | |||
| COIF deposit account | 139,775 | 134,188 | |
| Barclays account | 8,691 | 8,616 | |
| Total bank balances | 9,10 | 148,466 | 142,804 |
| Total net assets | 3,302,466 | 2,768,804 | |
The notes on pages 10 to 12 form part of these accounts.
For and on behalf of the Committee of Management
Anthony J Williams Hon. Treasurer
4 February 2026
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Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025
Accounting policies
Basis of Preparation
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).
1. Bar Income
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 £3,480.
2. Fund raising activities
| Event | £ Gross | £ Costs | £ Net | Costs/Gross % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afernoon Tea (May) | 969 | 177 | 792 | 18 |
3. Donations
The following donations were received:
-
The Friends of Ashtead Village Hall, totaling £5,691
-
Other miscellaneous donations, totaling £1,401
4. Grants
A grant of £14,140 was received from Surrey County Council from the Your Fund Surrey Small Community Fund towards the cost of installing a new fire alarm system, the installation of LED lighting and insulation.
5. Utilities
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Utlity | £ | £ |
| Gas | 6,768 | 4,787 |
| Electricity | 2,350 | 5,135 |
| Water | 1,259 | 1,187 |
| Telephone and communicatons | 1,076 | 1,017 |
| Waste | 2,933 | 2,566 |
| Totals | 14,386 | 14,692 |
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Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
6. Hall maintenance
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Item | £ | £ |
| Planned maintenance | 14,041 | 3,473 |
| Unplanned maintenance | 8,899 | 3,023 |
| Consumables | 2,702 | 2,556 |
| Furniture and equipment | 3,633 | 3,731 |
| Totals | 29,275 | 12,783 |
7. Hall Improvements
The following major improvements were carried out during the year:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Upgrade to Ralli Room sound equipment | 2,990 |
| New fre alarm system | 7,680 |
| Installaton of LED lightng to the back corridor, kitchen, Marshall Room, store room, ofce, porch, lobby and toilets |
9,620 |
| Insulaton at rear of building | 2,100 |
| TOTAL | 22,390 |
These costs were met from the grant received from Surrey County Council (£14,140), a donation from the Friends of Ashtead Village Hall (£4,752), the Hall’s “Go Green” fund (£507), and general funds.
8. 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 2025. The next valuation for insurance purposes is due in or around March 2028.
9. Reserves and Funds
As at 31 December 2025, these balances included the following reserves and funds:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| General contngency reserve | 50,000 |
| Caretaker’s fat refurbishment | 8,000 |
| Roof renewal fund | 10,000 |
| Boiler replacement | 30,000 |
| Hall ceiling project | 44,000 |
| Total reserves and funds | 142,000 |
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.
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Annual Report and Accounts 2025
Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall
10. Restricted Income Funds
The charity has one restricted income fund – the “Go Green” fund. As at 31 December 2025 the balance remaining in this fund amounted to £9,723, 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 2025
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 2025 | Charity no | 304968 |
| Set out on pages | 8 to 12 | ||
| 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 2025. 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: | 10 February 2026 |
| 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 2025