Trustees’ Annual Report for the period 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025
Charity name : Riding Mill Village Halls Charity registration number: 501316
Address : Riding Mill Parish Hall, Millfield Road, Riding Mill NE44 6DJ
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | The provision and maintenance of two village halls for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of Broomhaugh and Riding Mill and visitors to the village (without distinction of political, religious, or other opinions) for meetings, talks, concerts and classes and for other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation, with the object of improving their quality of life. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
Our village halls are used both daily in the week and regularly at weekends. The activities span all age groups and include Cubs & Scouts, Karate, Youth Theatre, Yoga and Pilates, Badminton, Choral, Art, Bridge, Carpet Bowls, and Seated Exercise. Regular social events include WI, Pot Luck Lunch and Film night. Valuable opportunities to meet are provided by the twice weekly morning Café in the Foyer and the weekly afternoon Drop-In event. The daily Market Table at the Parish Hall provides a service to the wider community. The halls have also been used for private events and celebrations throughout the year. Drama Club productions are a twice-yearly popular event attracting the wider community. |
| Statement confirming if the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | Trustees have been mindful of their duty to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties |
to which the guidance is relevant
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | Not applicable |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | Not applicable |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | The charity is managed by Trustees who are all volunteers however the halls could not operate without our generous volunteers who are involved both regularly and for one-off events eg jumble sales, craft fairs and plant sales. Our ‘Garden Invaders’ maintain the considerable grounds at the Parish Hall and our Market Table team puts out eggs, locally made preserves, and other items such as plants for sale daily with money going into an honesty box and a share of the profits going into hall funds. A team of volunteers run Café in the Foyer at the Parish Hall on a Monday and Friday morning. Drop In on a Tuesday afternoon provides a welcoming place for games, chat, and refreshments. |
| Other | The charity lets out a 2-bedroomed flat on the first floor of the Parish Hall the rent from which contributes significantly towards hall cleaning costs. Managing the tenancy has been a considerable drain on Trustee time and, latterly, charity finances. |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | Transfer of assets to the charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) of the same name has finally completed and the bank accounts in the name of this unincorporated charity will be closed on 31 Dec 2025. We continue to progress our aim of ensuring legal compliance by updating old policies and procedures and identifying gaps. The Parish Hall is a designated Warm Hub and both halls are community resilience hubs. We continued to look at ways to reduce our energy costs and, with the help of Northumberland Community Energy Ltd (NCEL), are investigating the options for providing solar power in both halls. This will be a lengthy process but partnering with NCEL means that the risk to the charity is minimised. We are extremely grateful to everyone who contributes their time to help the halls to thrive and we will continue to actively seek to increase our trustee and volunteer teams. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against objectives |
Para 1.41 |
Intentionally blank |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives |
Para 1.41 | Intentionally blank |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | Intentionally blank |
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | The charity aims to fund its running costs from its income. Hall hire and rent from the flat plus periodic fund-raising events and the market table income, continues to make it achievable. The charity took the difficult decision to terminate the tenancy for the flat following a long period of failure by the tenant to comply with all the terms of the lease. This required due legal process at significant cost for legal advice and court fees. |
|---|---|---|
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | General reserves are held in a separate interest-bearing account in the bank. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £75K |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | N/A |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | N/A |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 |
The principal source of funds is the revenue from hall charges. They were reviewed and increased in Sept 2024, after discussions with the User Groups, and no further increase was made in this financial year. The other significant source of income is the rent from the flat which had not been increased since 2020. It was increased by £100 p/m from April 2024 and again in April 2025 to bring it closer to market rent. We have not applied for grants this year but we have benefited from a Community Action Northumberland (CAN) grant towards heating costs. |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | Not applicable |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | There were significant Board changes in 2024/25 with 2 resignations including the loss of the Chair who made a valuable contribution to governance. There was a 2-month period when the remaining three Trustees were thinly spread. We were very fortunate that a volunteer agreed to become a Trustee in July. The recruitment of more Trustees, and also volunteers, is vital to the continuing running of the halls and a recruitment campaign was launched in June. The existing heating system in the Parish Hall was not capable of providing adequate heating during cold periods so advice was obtained about the best way to improve it. Work has been commissioned to start in Sept 2025. We are still at an early stage of knowledge capture and sharing which is essential to provide a good foundation for the future As we lease the Parish Hall on a full maintain and repair lease, and it approaches its centenary, we anticipate facing significant refurbishment costs at some point. |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Charity Commission Scheme |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | Unincorporated Association |
| Trustee selection methods including any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | We constantly seek additional Trustees with skills and experience complementary to the team. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | |
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Riding Mill Village Hall |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | Riding Mill Village Hall Trust |
| Registered charity number | 501316 |
| Charity’s principal address | Riding Mill Parish Hall Millfield Road Riding Mill NE44 6DJ |
| RMvillagehalls@gmail.com | |
| website | www.ridingmillvillagehalls.org |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if part of the year | Name of person/body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Banger | Chair & Treasurer | Resigned date 24 May 2025 | ||
| Judith Wilthew | Secretary | |||
| Kathleen Fadden | ||||
| Chris Higgins | ||||
| Pam Waldron | Resigned 19 March 2025 and co-opted from 22 August 2025 for 1year |
|||
| June Newton | Treasurer | Appointed 14 July 2025 | ||
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity: None
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
| Description of the assets held in this capacity | N/A |
|---|---|
| Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects |
N/A |
| Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets |
N/A |
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (optional information) N/A
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (optional information) N/A
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details - N/A
Other optional information
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) JUDITH A. WILTHEW Position (eg SECRETARY Secretary, Chair) Date 04/05/2026
RIDING MILL VIUAGE IIALLS TRUST TNCOEIE & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDING 31 AUGUST 2025 2024/25 2023124 INCOME Hire Of Halls Af f iliatitsn Fees Grants & Donations Riding Mill Parish Councll Frosty & other donatlons Speclal Events Jurnble Sal e Wine Tasting Table Top Café, Pot Luek Lunch Market Table Flat Rental Bank Tnterest Sundrles 28.883.05 455.00 29,275 390 150.00 610.00 760.00 3,400 1,150.00 510.00 1, 003 1,660.00 4,379.36 6,290.86 6,065.01 695.35 437 5,839 8,238 6, 325 130 250 £ 49 188.63 £ 55 287 EXPF.NDITURE HALLS Cleaninq vtilltLgS Repairs InBuraneè Landscape & Maintenance ITrprovementa 124.63 13. 648.28 5.096.99 3,200.55 7,414 12.e19 4. 186 2,704 2,703.46 2 915.08 1,057 7,000 35, 688. 99 GENEBAL Booking Servlcès Legal Charges Market Table Flat Repairs xaminers Charges Licence5 Web31te Sundries 3,000.00 1,341.00 3,209.00 715.00 400.00 430.63 142.06 460.81 3, 000 3.340 5,342 9 69B.50 £ 45 38? 49 £ 49 9S9 SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR 3,801.14 5.328 SVRPLUS BROUGHT FORWARD 89 B61.00 SURPLUS AT 31 AUGUST 2025 £ 93 662.14
(CHARZTT NO. 501316) YEAR EIIDED 31 AUIXIST 2025 I report on the accounts of Riding 14111 Vlllagè Halls Trust 31" August 2025. f or the year ended As the Hanagement Board you are responslble for the preparatlon of the account8.' you consider that the audlt requlrernent of 8144121 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act) does not apply. It is my re8pon3ibility to state. on the basis of procedures specified in the General Dire¢t&on$ givèn by the Charlty Commissioner$ undèr s145151 Ibl of tho Act, whether partlcular matter3 have come to my attentlon. My examlnation was carried out in accordance w&th thè General Dlrectlons given by the Charity Commlssioners. examination Includes revlew of the accounting records kept by the charlty and a Comparlson of the accounts presented wlth those recgrd3. It also includ•s consideratlon of any unusual tems or dis¢losur•s In th• aecount8. and tho seeking of explanation8 from you as the Managtrmont Board concerning any 3uch rnatter¥. The proeedutes undertaken do not provide all thè evldence that would be required in an audlt and, consequentlyi I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. In ¢onnectlon with rny examination, no matter has c¢)me to Thy attentlon: whlch gives me reasonabl• ¢ause to belleve that, In any materlal respect the requlrements: to keep a¢count&ng rècords In accordance with $130 of the Act.. and to prepare account¥ which accord with the accountlng records and to omply wlth thè accountlng requirernents of the Act have not been met.. or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn In order to enable a propèr understanding of the accounts to be reached. apart f rom the Infornatlon Included in Note l. David L Kilner Chartered Accountant 7 Eldon Square Newcastle upon Tyne NEI 7JG 19 March 2026