EMPIRE HALL REPORT FOR CHARITY COMMISSION MARCH 2024
1. The Charity and Trustees
The Empire Hall Graffham, 305376, The Street, Graffham, Petworth, West Sussex. GU28 0QB. Sally Blunt, Carole Sargent, Gillian Charlesworth, Fiona Jacob, Sarah LydiardWilson, Diane Bellis, and Karen Consalvi.
2. Management Committee
There are five main ‘officer’ trustees – the Chairperson (and at present also Booking Secretary), the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Maintenance Officer. The other trustees are representatives of village organisations, at present we have representatives of the Health Association, St. Giles Church, Thursday Club, and the Parish Council. These representatives are suggested to the hall committee by their groups.
3. Main activities and purpose
The hall’s activities are wide-ranging. On a regular basis it is hired for:
Yoga and Pilates classes, Ease into Exercise classes, Badminton Club, Pickle Ball Club, Post Office services, Church special events such as The St. Giles Christmas Fair (a fund-raiser for the church) Lent Lunch and Harvest Festival, The Easter Fair (a fundraiser for the hall) a Lunch Club, meetings for the Parish Council, a monthly cinema evening, Thursday Club, and osteopathic, physiotherapy and podiatry sessions in the Treatment Room. There are various clubs such as the Gardening Club which holds three yearly events.
It also holds a hall fund-raising Burns Night, musical events to suit varied tastes, plays and talks, some of which are fund-raisers for the hall, church etc., birthday parties (children’s and adults’), wedding receptions, funeral wakes, large group training sessions eg for gardeners, firemen, and builders. For the village arts festival this year it was hired for the village soiree, talks and films. For national events it has state of the art audiovisual facilities and the ability to seat 120 people and more standing.
Its objectives which are of public benefit are to be a ready and friendly, affordable communal space for the village and outside communities as a whole, but within that remit encouraging caring opportunities for the needs of the more vulnerable eg post office facilities, lunch club, health treatments, a chance for everyone to meet others to avoid loneliness and make and meet friends and have fun.
The hall committee works as an effective cohesive team to make sure everything runs smoothly. We work hard to ensure the hall is a well looked-after, financially wellmanaged village asset to provide a warm, welcoming clean and safe environment for all its visitors.
4. Management
As a 100-year plus building, the Hall requires regular maintenance and risk/health and safety assessment. During the past year we have conducted a full risk assessment, with the assistance of the local fire brigade, and made some additions to our safety signage as a result.
Some critical repairs to the roof have been commissioned and in order to carry these out, we have been required to commission an ecological (bat) survey, adding considerably to the cost of the project. The funds for these repairs have come from fund raising activity as they are not covered by day to day hall hire.
5. Finances
Our finances are tight. Normal operational costs are just covered by hall hire. For fabric repairs and capital expenditure we are reliant on fund raising and grants where available. We do not have any debt and our reserves are currently healthy but we believe that the whole roof will need to be repaired over the next decade and have therefore begun to think about the need for a dedicated roof fund.
Sally Blunt, Chairperson, on behalf of Empire Hall Trustees
March 2024
THE EMPIRE HALL, GRAFFHAM (CHARITY NO 305376) ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
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|RECEIPTS|2024|2023|PAYMENTS|2024|2023|
|:|£|£|£|£|£|£|£|
|General Fund|General Fund|
|Hiring|of Hall|13,031|9,290|Heating|oil|1,952|1,210|
|Other income|Electricity|& water|1,353|2,242|
|Dividends COIF|(Capital Fund)|144|144|Repairs|3,822|1,878|
|Interest COIF (Deposits)|1,574|509|Cleaning,|bins, grass & hedgecutting|2,562|1,991|
|Rates|131|248|
|1,718|653|Insurance|904|1,164|
|Annualinspections|&|services|381|314|
|Professional fees|604|1,285|
|Sundries|283|434|
|14,749|9,943|11,992|10,766|
|Appeal Fund|Appeal Fund|
|Donations|298|1,197|Hall improvements\building works|24,598|4|
|Profit from|fundraising|events|6,473|5,898|Sundries|723|721|
|Grants|9,950|=|Promotions|Officer|-|2,149|
|16,721|7,095|25,321|2,870|
|Capital Fund (COIF Income shares)|Capital Fund (COIF Income shares)|
|Nil activity|-|-|Nil activity|i|7|
|Summary|Summary|
|Total payments|37,313|13,636|
|Excess|receipts|over|payments|
|Annual|Surplus|General|Fund|2,757|(823)|
|Annual|Surplus Appeal|Fund|(8,600)|4,225|
|(5,843)|3,402|
|Total receipts|31,470|17,038||||_31,470|17,038|
|Opening and closing balances|Total funds|as|at 31|March|represented|by;|
|Opening Total|funds|at|1|April|62,908|59,505|General fund|Nat West bank account|873|873|
|Barclays bank account|9,734|17,569|
|COIF|deposit|account|590|590|
|Excess receipts|over|payments|11,197|19,032|
|Annual Surplus|General Fund|2,757|(823)|Appeal Fund|Nat West|bank account|1,646|1,466|
|Barclays|bank|account|9,699|9,605|
|Annual Surplus Appeal Fund|(8,600)|4,225|COIF deposit account|33,457|31,739|
|Sent|aaa|44802|42,810|
|(5,843)|3,403|Capital|Fund|COIF|income shares|(at cost)|1,066|1,066|
|Closing funds 31 March|57,065|62,908|57,065|62,908|
|Signed on behalf of|the Trustees:|Trustee|1|&|’|Trustee|—“|YA|7|Date|[ S|.|a)|‘ oye|
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Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner’s Report Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of The Empire Hall, Graffham ~~a FP~~
Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner’s Report Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of The Empire Hall, Graffham ~~FP~~ On accounts for the year 31 March 202 4 Charity no 305376 ended (if any) ~~eeee eee~~ Set out on pages 1 and 2 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) ~~Pp~~ Respective The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. responsibilities of The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year trustees and examiner under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given examiner’s statement 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. It 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 audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
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Independent In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention
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examiner's statement 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
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have not been met; or
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to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed: Date: 31 December 2024 ~~a ae~~ ee ~~eee~~ Name: C Homan ~~Co~~ Relevant professional FCA qualification(s) or body (if any): ~~a~~
1
March 2012
IER
| Address: | Spring Cottage, Trotton, Petersfield |
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| Hampshire | |
| Section B Disclosure |
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material problems.
2
March 2012
IER
Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .
3
March 2012
IER