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Chester Green Community , Group
Charity No. 509555
Annual Report, 2020-2021
Index
2 Administrative Details 3 Management, Income and Expenditure, Policies, Plans
4 Customers, Finances 2017-8
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Trustees: Mrs. Julie Wilks Chair Mrs. Shirley Bryan Hon. Secretary Mr. John D’Arcy Hon. Treasurer Mrs. Sheila McFarlane Mr. Tony Lloyd
Caretaker: Mrs. Maureen Brophy Address: Chester Green Community Centre, Darley Playing Fields, Old Chester Road, Derby DE1 3SA Bankers: The Co-operative Bank, 31, East Street, Derby DE1 2AL Auditors: Derby Community Accountancy Service, Babington Lodge, 28, Green Lane, Derby DE1 1RY
Website: www.chestergreencommunitygroup.yolasite.com
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Introduction
The Chester Green Community Group was formed in 1979 to support the people living in the Parish of St. Paul, Chester Green. Not long afterwards, the City Council built a Community Centre in the Parish, the management of this being devolved onto the Community Group, which has been its main preoccupation ever since. The City Council retain ownership of the building itself while the Group is responsible for its interior.
Management of the Charity.
The Group is controlled by its Constitution, which can be amended at an Annual General Meeting. Trustees are also elected at the AGM, though most of them have been re-elected for a number of years. There is no perceived need for any training of Trustees beyond that required for specific exceptional duties. There is one paid employee, a part time cleaner/caretaker. All other support is voluntary; decisions are made by the Trustees, usually at their monthly meetings. The Group clearly could not operate without its volunteers, who are increasingly difficult to find.
Income and Expenditure
The principal source of income is normally room hire. The effect of the Covid epidemic has been to drastically reduce this income as nearly all groups suspended operations in line with National requirements. The few hirings remaining were educational. The bar and weekend functions did not operate this year.
The income shortfall, however was far more than offset by various National and local grants, including furlough as our caretaker’s work became unnecessary.
Expenditure is mainly that required to run and maintain the Community Centre. The largest running costs are for utilities and cleaning. Utility costs are kept to a minimum by using an agent for heat and light. We are able to pay our loyal caretaker slightly more than the statutory minimum wage. Policies.
The Group has always been careful to implement safety initiatives. Thus a Risk Assessment and a Child Protection Policy are well established, and a non-smoking Policy has been adopted in line with current legislation. Various Health and Safety checks are routinely carried out on items such as water quality, fire protection etc. Our burglar alarm is connected to the Police station via a monitoring system.
The policy on financial reserves is to maintain funds equivalent to at least a year’s expenditure. The actual amount, of course, fluctuates depending on the timing of large items.
Future Plans.
To maintain the Community Centre to as high a standard of repair as possible is the Trustees' ongoing intention.
The grounds of the Centre have been affected by the installation of improved flood defences. Although the Community Centre has never been flooded, it lies on a raised platform in the flood plain of the River Derwent, which has been designated a flood risk area by the Environment Agency. A major scheme to provide new flood defences has been completed recently, and the new grounds are now level and include a patio area.
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Our Customers.
Regular users of the Centre are normally a mixture of amateur and professional groups. Prior to lockdown, amateur societies include the Local History Society and the long-established Derby Philatelic Society. We have two yoga groups, two baby groups, one for toddlers and a pensioners’ lunch group. There is a Parkinson’s disease singing group, a barbershop choir, two U3A groups and Zumba exercise class. In addition, the Centre is a normal voting station for National and Local elections. Rents started to pick up as some groups reformed as lockdown eased in the late autumn.
At weekends, the Centre is available for private hire. Customers are mostly local, and include childrens’ and others’ birthday parties, wedding receptions an similar events.
Financial Report.
Overall, the grants received totalling $24641 provided a far higher surplus this year than normal. Although our rent income was down, there was no expenditure on repairs and refurbishment. As a result, our excess of income over expenditure rose to £14764.
Bankers and auditors remained as they have done for several years, and our investment bond is with the Hodge Bank.
CHESTER GREEN COMMUNITY GROUP STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 MARCH 2021 2020 2021 Monetary A•Mts Money held at bank & cash balance Co-op current Derbyshire Account Derbyshire Account (Millennium A¢unt) Hodge 8ank Cash held Bar Committee 5657 1149 337 23321 212 1019 31695 21561 23648 230 1019 46459 Debtors 31695 TOTAL ASSETS HELD 419 46878 LESS LIABILITIES Creditors 320 320 31375 Net A8S0t8 46558 Chair Date Treasurer Date
CHESTER GREEN COMMUNITY GROUP INDEPENDEIYT EXAMINER'S REPORT Independent Examin¢rfs Rew>rt to the trustees of Chester Green Community Group I report on the accounts for thc year ended 31 March 2021 which are set out on pages 2 to 4. Respeetlve responsibilitlw ofthe ¢rusteey And examiner A5 ihe charity Irustees of the Trust. you are resp)nsible for the preparaiion of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Aci 2011 (*he Act"}. I rewrt in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying oul my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by Ihc Charity Commission under 5CCtion 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent ex4miner's stattmenl I havc completed my examination. I confirni thai no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives mc cause to believe ihai in, any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not a¢cord with the ac¢ountin8 T¢¢ords I have no concerns and hav¢ come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper underslandin8 of the accounts to be reached. . r&•AJe Mark Newey ACMA Derby Community Accountsncy Service Babin8ton Lodge 128 Green Lan¢ Derby DEI IRY Date