BURTON MEMORIAL HALL
CHAIR’S REPORT TO THE AGM to year end 31[st] March 2021
I began my report at the last AGM by saying that the year 2019-2020 had some challenges for the management committee, but that those were relatively minor in comparison to what we faced at the very end of the year. Those challenges continued beyond the end of 2019-2020 and through almost all of the year 20202021.
Our first challenge was having the Hall closed from 23[rd] March until 3[rd] September, a period of just over 5 months during which we had no rental income coming in at all. Instead of its usual bi-monthly meetings at the Hall the management committee switched to shorter monthly meetings held using the Zoom online conference call platform, and after we got the hang of how it all worked these continued successfully for the majority of the committee throughout the year. Meetings were supplemented by regular emails from me keeping the committee updated in, what was at the time, a rapidly changing situation, and to help in making timely decisions in between the monthly meetings as the need arose.
Here I must pay tribute to the support and advice I have received from ACTion with Communities in Cumbria (ACT), who quickly set up a regular monthly support meeting via Zoom for all Cumbria’s village halls along with ACT staff to help us keep up with, and understand, the plethora of rules that were being issued from government. Without their constant support and guidance the year would have been far more difficult for us to cope with, and would probably have reduced me to a complete nervous wreck! I also need to acknowledge and thank the staff at Cumbria CVS who set up a monthly funding forum also on Zoom, that provided grant funding advice to help mitigate the loss of rental income. Both organisations are a real asset to Cumbria and we are extremely fortunate to have their advice and support available to us even now as we are still dealing with the slow release from lockdown and return to some sort of normality.
During the year Melissa Tubbs stepped down as our treasurer, as she found it increasingly difficult to handle the workload whilst having her young son at home whilst the schools were closed. I thank her for stepping into the role and for doing a sterling job for us until her retirement from the post. We were extremely fortunate to have secured a new treasurer immediately as Raegan Preston volunteered to step into the role in August and has settled herself in very well, and in addition to producing the usual monthly and annual accounts has also instituted a 6-monthly cash flow spreadsheet so the committee can see at a glance at each meeting where our finances are and if there is anything we need to plan for. At our delayed AGM in
November 2020 Chris Nolan (who is also a parish councillor) joined the management committee, which reinstates our previously close contact with the parish council, as did Matthew Scott, who has been heavily involved along with Peter Bowker, Bob Parker and myself in reviewing the Hall’s policies and procedures, a process which is still ongoing, but which will be completed in the current year. They are all welcome additions to the management committee.
Getting ready to reopen in September involved having to rethink the way in which groups could use the Hall and put anti-Covid measures in place to keep hirers as safe as possible. These included changes to cleaning routines, the introduction of Special Covid Conditions of Hire, and the provision of anti-viral wipes in each room and hand-sanitiser stations throughout the premises, two emergency Covid first-aid boxes by the entrance doors along with two collection boxes for the mandatory attendance logs completed by each hirer (and here may I say a special thank you to Helen’s husband Ken Dawson for making them for us).
We split the Hall into two zones with the associated dispersal of tables, chairs etc into a store room in each zone to prevent cross-contamination of rooms and reduce the risk of infection, with each zone being accessed only by the main entrance door within it, i.e. the south end door serves the main hall, the north end door serves the reception and club rooms. The north end lobby had to be further divided by the use of posts and ropes so that foot flow to each room was separated. As part of this we changed the male and female single toilets in the north end to unisex toilets, one for each meeting room, again to help prevent cross-contamination between different hirer groups. We also had foot-operated doorstops fitted to internal doors to reduce the need for doors to be handled.
Having re-opened in September we had little time to plan events before we were again mandated by government to close on 5[th] November until 3[rd] December, but whilst open we could only accommodate certain permitted activities, and our regular seasonal activities such as Christmas fairs, coffee mornings, children’s parties and bingo nights were not allowed. The committee decided that in view of the lack of bookings and the strict limitations on what could take place in the Hall it would make economic sense to close over the Christmas and New Year period (24[th] Dec 2020 to 4[th] Jan 2021), to save on utility costs, but the government then announced that we would be in Tier 4 from 31[st] Dec 2020 so would have to close our doors from that date, and we remained closed until after the end of the financial year 20202021.
Having already in the year 2019/2020 committed ourselves to the cost of repairing the south end roof, the loss of income from hirers caused serious concern to the committee and we instituted an appeal via Burton News for donations to help us
cover our fixed costs of insurance and utility bills, and we were very pleased to receive a number of donations from generous residents in and around the village to help us cope in the early days. We also decided to register for Gift Aid, so that we could reclaim the tax from HMRC on any donation from a UK tax-payer, and that also helped with running costs.
Our 200 Club has continued throughout the year, although the regular monthly draws that formerly took place at the Library Coffee Mornings were delayed due to lockdown, but all draws were completed before the year end, and winners’ prizes distributed. May I thank Jane Orr for continuing to manage the Club and the draws, and all of the 200 Club members who support the Hall through it. The Club has almost 100 members so there are still spaces available if anyone wants to join or buy extra numbers!
We also received generous donations from people undertaking events on their own: 13 year old Ollie Poulett undertook a 100 mile cycle ride to raise funds for the Hall in June 2020, Sandra Reid spent hours sewing reusable cloth face masks that she sold in aid of Hall funds, and Kath Hayhurst held a book and plant sale on her driveway in the autumn, with 50% of the funds coming to the Hall. Thank you to all three of them for their kindness and generosity in supporting the Hall.
During the first period of lockdown we were also advised by ACT and Cumbria CVS that village halls were eligible to apply for government support grants as we had to remain closed. We were successful in applying for each of the seven grants available, and these were paid to us by SLDC from government-provided funds, which eased the committee’s worries about finances considerably.
You will recall that, at the last AGM, I reported that the committee had decided to take up the option of furloughing our two cleaners (Margaret and James Burton) rather than laying them off, and that furlough continued through most of the year. In the weeks up to and after when we were able to re-open they both worked flexibly to prepare the Hall for re-opening and around the bookings in the Hall, and James also undertook repainting of various rooms that were looking a bit shabby. Thank you to them both for all they do to help keep the Hall safe and clean, and for flagging up issues when they spot them.
Despite the Hall itself being closed for part of the time, the committee took part in the Halloween Pumpkin Trail and the Christmas Star Trail around the village in October and December with its displays in the north end garden space, and to decorate the Hall’s windows at Christmas with cheery scenes, thank you to Josie Noble for helping put the Christmas window decorations up, and to Margaret and James Burton for taking them down again in the New Year.
In April 2020 we were finally able to replace the south end roof, the work was done by the same company who did the north end roof previously with the cost coming out of Hall funds, as grant funds were switched away from repairs to building and onto supporting Covid support groups. Other small repairs to electrics, lights and plumbing were also dealt with, the leaky window in the north end store room was repaired, gutters and down-spouts were cleaned out several times, and our electrical items were PAT tested. Potholes in the car park were filled in free of charge for us by Chaplow’s of Kendal, whose relative Craig Chaplow brings the fish and chip van to the Hall car park each Tuesday evening, and a hearty thank you goes to Craig for arranging that for us. In August we had to have the woodwork under and on the stage area treated against woodworm.
The lockdown delayed the planned revamp of the reception room kitchen but this is now back on schedule for later this year.
During the period that the Hall had to remain closed the committee took a relaxed view of the use of the car park by residents, on the understanding that when the Hall reopened those vehicles must give way to hirers needing parking spaces. The committee thanks those residents who have cooperated with this request.
Our thanks are also due to Burton News for allowing the space for a monthly column so we could update residents of when the Hall had to close, when it could re-open, and what activities could take place within it and when, and to Joan Barkley for doing the same for us via her Westmorland Gazette and Lancaster Guardian village news columns.
Finally, may I say a big thank you to all my fellow committee members for their advice for me as Chair and for their support and attendance at meetings, and to spouses and children who have helped when needed, also to Helen for efficiently managing the bookings we have had. It has been a fairly steep learning curve for us all learning to use Zoom, but I’m thankful to have had you all in place to offer advice and support over the year.
Report prepared by Anne Nichols, Chair 2020-2021
Burton Memori41 Hall 505018 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from To 0110412020 3110312021 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted lund5 Restricied funds Endowment funds Total lunds Last year to th• t)8re$i folhe near¢¥i £ lo the near•st É to lh• n8atesi É to th n¢art51 £ Al Recei 1,958 16.656 3.786 3,9 37,WD 1,84J 451 GiftslDon8tlOn5 Gfants 4329 22300 4325 22,300 28591 63,695 Sub total(Gross income for AR) 2B,59L A2 Asset and investment sales, see table Sub total Total receip 28591 A3 Payments 1445 11968 1.778 11.480 604 Rr.paif8 & mbinienance 40614 4176 Jo 2440 1620 40.014 4,171 Sci.'ILJtt4ry's honoiariurn Secietaiy's Expenses 4.176 129 5.550 1,574 2,093 Wdstp Cdleuion i.e26 Sub tota 6319 A4 Asset and investment purchhses, (see table) Sub tota 83195 Net of receiptslfpayments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash lunds last year end Cash funds thi5 year en .3460 7930 4470
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowm¢nt funds CeVOrieS Detail$ to ee$l E to newest £ to neaYe$t £ Bl Cash funds Current Accouni 17.004 2,169 Deposit Account 8uilding Society Total cash funds 9,108 18,58B 44,700 2.169 iauiee lanCeS¥ih1eceIpt5 and wyMe¥ Unrestricted lund5 to ThrIst £ Restricted funds Endowment funds Details to nealtst £ lo nearest £ Futid io thlch •¥¥•l b•longy Det•ils Coyt lopilot)l rient valuq Fund to %thl¢h tsyel lDn¥ Detai15 i loptlonall 84 Assets reialned lor ihe charlty's own use rri Fund to S1C liability fvlatw$ Amount due loption&ll WhEn due Details B5 Liabilities Signed by one or Nvo irusiees on iEhall of Ihe Irusiee5 Date ol approval naiurs Print Name 0E61 lo
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trusteesl members of ETON TrlÉrto£IAL UJ LL 5/26zI On accounts for the year ended Charity no lif any) 30soif Set out on pages Ir8member to lrtludtr the page DLJtnber¥ ol additional slieelsl I report lo the Iruslees on my examination of the accounts of the above chanty I'the Trust") for the year ended 3110312021. Responslbllltles and As the charity Iruslees of th8 Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with th8 requirèments of the Charities Act 2011 {"thè 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 Direclions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515)Ibl of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material mallers have come lo my allenlion (other than that disclosed below ') in connection with the examination which gives me cause lo 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 Independent examlner's statement I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which 8tlenlion should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts lo be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Slgnod: Date: zozl Name: Relevanl professional quallfication(s) or body (if any): FLA Address: JHASSETT nikNJrOe- LAI IER October 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the oxaminer wishes to disclose. IER October 2018