Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society
Treasurer’s Report to the Trustees
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1) I can confirm that I have received the Charity Commission Independent Examiner’s Report IER, on the 2020 Accounts of the Society. The accounts were accepted without qualification. I am attaching copies of the IER report together with an abridged copy of the accounts.
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2) An operational deficit of £3,438.56 was reported, but converted to a surplus after receiving a noncontributory once only Business Discretionary Grant from Chorley Council, the landlord of the Society leased Chorley Resource Centre. With the special grant of £8,141.00 from Chorley Council an operational deficit of £3,438.56 was converted to a surplus of £4,702.44.
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3) In the course of clarifying a number of matters raised in the examination of the accounts during my discussion with Mrs Armstrong it was necessary to reveal that certain supporting documents had been mislaid by the retiring Treasurer who was unable to locate the missing support documents. A substantiating statement of the mislaid documents was provided and accepted on my personal assurances.
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4) As at 31 December the Society reserves totalled £44,419.56, £15,398.67 in the Business Main Account, £29,020.89 invested in a Primary Saving Account at minimal interest rate of 0.01%, and with the Branches balances standing at £12,147.26. In a normal year of operations, the deficit would have exceeded £10,000.00 and put the Business Account balance, our reserves, in jeopardy. This deficit is projected again as soon as the society can resume normal working arrangements.
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5) It is incumbent on me in my capacity as the newly appointed Treasurer and retired Member of the Chartered Institute of Management, to bring to the attention of the Trustees the overall position of the society finances, as reported regularly to Management and Executive meetings in 2020 and 2021 to date. In four of the last six financial years (including 2020) a deficit has been reported on normal operations as well as the accounts having been qualified by the IE on three occasions. In 2020 where a once only Business Discretionary Grant by Chorley Council, as indicated above in 2) offset another projected deficit. The total deficit between 2015 and 2020 amounted to £19,150.00. This is not a satisfactory outcome for a Registered Charity indicating management frailty. In assuming the appointment of Treasurer following my role as Independent Examiner in 2018 and 2019, I feel I am able to identify a number of areas where financial controls are now required to be implemented. With falling membership, (a national industry trend), and lack of other income sources, failure to examine current expenditure and ongoing liabilities will continue this deficit making procedure in 2021. This has to be addressed urgently, but is not helped by the current period and uncertainty of Government Pandemic lockdown restrictions I concede.
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6) The Resource Centres and Branches requiring support from the society will continue to have a draining effect on society funds and the extent of general overheads needs urgent examination and risk management, hard and difficult decisions have to be made in a difficult industry situation.
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7) This report in conjunction with an abridged accounting summary (attached) and IER report will be submitted to the Charity Commission in view of the accounts having also been agreed by all Trustees at an Executive Meeting on Tuesday, 15[th] February 2021.
Ian White MCIM Rtd Treasurer Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society 23 School Fold Hesketh Bank West Lancashire PR4 6RE
Lancashire Family History Heraldry Society Summary of the 2020 Main Accounts
| Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society | Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society | Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society | Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society | Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary of the Operations for the year to 31 December 202 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Income | 2020 | Branches | Totals | 2019 | |||||||
| Subscriptions Received 2020 | 11,226.30 | 11,226.30 | |||||||||
| Advance Payments for 2021 | 4,324.50 | 4,324.50 | |||||||||
| 15,550.80 | 15,550.80 | 15,629.09 | |||||||||
| Gift Aid -(2018 and 2019) | 1,989.85 | 1,989.85 | 4,563.72 | ||||||||
| Publication Sales | 905.95 | 194.00 | 1,099.95 | 1,806.29 | |||||||
| Donations Received | 485.75 | 492.03 | 977.78 | 2,234.85 | |||||||
| Branch Meetings Income | 2,455.11 | ||||||||||
| HeraldryBranch Income | 485.90 | 320.00 | 805.90 | 479.41 | |||||||
| Income from Branch Activities | 288.05 | 288.05 | 2,162.00 | ||||||||
| Income from SocietyActivities | 1,041.70 | ||||||||||
| Resource Centre Income - Oswaldtwistle | 278.70 | 278.70 | 32.12 | ||||||||
| Resource Centre Income - Chorley | 0.00 | 139.90 | 139.90 | ||||||||
| Room Hire Funded bySociety | 75.00 | 75.00 | 802.50 | ||||||||
| Cumbria London Branch Contribution | 50.00 | 50.00 | 187.50 | ||||||||
| SundryIncome | 50.00 | 50.00 | 200.00 | ||||||||
| Interest and Commission Received | 30.87 | 2.19 | 33.06 | 220.69 | |||||||
| 19,777.82 | 1,561.17 | 21,338.99 | 31,814.98 | ||||||||
| Expenditure | |||||||||||
| Magazine Production | 4,796.00 | 4,796.00 | 7,298.97 | ||||||||
| Magazine Distribution Costs | 3,181.90 | 3,181.90 | 4,293.42 | ||||||||
| Insurances | 805.97 | 805.97 | 948.89 | ||||||||
| Subscriptions to Affiliated Groups | 872.06 | 872.06 | 673.40 | ||||||||
| Administration & Officers Costs | 1,543.47 | 244.58 | 1,788.05 | 1,843.35 | |||||||
| Stationery& PrintingEquipment | 140.22 | 140.22 | |||||||||
| Publication Purchases | 10.09 | 10.09 | 209.27 | ||||||||
| Resource Centre Oswaltwistle | 4,336.00 | 4,336.00 | 5,616.73 | ||||||||
| Resource Centre - Chorley | 2,685.04 | 108.41 | 2,793.45 | 4,124.11 | |||||||
| Venues and MeetingRoom Hire | 1,629.00 | 1,629.00 | 4,632.80 | ||||||||
| Projects | 77.99 | 77.99 | 767.65 | ||||||||
| Branch Activities | 1,038.52 | 1,038.52 | 1,297.25 | ||||||||
| SocietyActivities | 2,622.85 | ||||||||||
| Speakers | 550.00 | 550.00 | 2,149.00 | ||||||||
| Postages | 271.39 | 271.39 | 269.34 | ||||||||
| Bank & Credit Card Charges | 371.68 | 371.68 | 467.10 | ||||||||
| Publicity | 50.00 | 50.00 | 90.00 | ||||||||
| Website Development | 1,248.74 | 30.00 | 1,278.74 | 1,308.00 | |||||||
| Assets - Computer Equipment | 786.49 | 786.49 | 3,449.00 | ||||||||
| Commission Paid | |||||||||||
| 22,728.05 | 2,049.50 | 24,777.55 | 42,061.13 | ||||||||
| Deficit on Operations | -3,438.56 | -£10,246.05 | |||||||||
| Add ChorleyDiscretionaryBusiness Grant | 8,141.00 | ||||||||||
| Surplus for the year | £4,702.44 | ||||||||||
| Reconciliation of the Funds | |||||||||||
| Balances B/Fwd SocietyAccount 12578757 | 10,067.73 | ||||||||||
| 60 DayAccount 10136818 | 28,990.71 | ||||||||||
| Total Funds at 01 January2019 | 39,058.44 | 12,635.59 | 51,694.03 | ||||||||
| Add backpayments made but notyet cleared * | 1,264.13 | 1,264.13 | |||||||||
| Deduct receipts notyet cleared | ** | -121.78 | -121.78 | ||||||||
| Deduct 2019 items | -972.00 | -972.00 | |||||||||
| Add Income | 19,777.82 | 1,561.17 | 21,338.99 | ||||||||
| Add ChorleyGrant | 8,141.00 | 8,141.00 | |||||||||
| Deduct Expenditure | -22,728.05 | -2,049.50 | -24,777.55 | ||||||||
| Balances at 31 December 2019 | £44,419.56 | 12,147.26 | 56,566.82 | ||||||||
| Bank Reconciliation Statement | |||||||||||
| ClosingBalances at 31 December 2019 | |||||||||||
| Business Account 12578737 | 15,398.67 | 15,398.67 | |||||||||
| PrimarySavings Account 10136818 | 29,020.89 | 29,020.89 | |||||||||
| Branch Accounts | 12,147.26 | 12,147.26 | |||||||||
| £44,419.56 | 12,147.26 | 56,566.82 | |||||||||
| Notes | |||||||||||
| 1)Included in the income total is £485.90 relative to items frp20 | 17-2019 late reported. | ||||||||||
| 2)Included in the expenditure total is £2121.72 relative to 2019 l | ate reported | ||||||||||
| Ian White | |||||||||||
| Treasuer | |||||||||||
| 18 January2021 | |||||||||||
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trusteesl members of u+WcAS*icé Fsu4cLy On accounts for the year ended Charity no (if any} 2<) Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of th8 accounts of the above chaiity rthe Trusf) for the year ended Responsibilities and basis of report As the chariws trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in aCrdan with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Yhe Acr). I report in respect of my examination of the Tfust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Art and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the ACL Independent tThe charity's gross in¢))me exceeded £250,OW and l am qualified to examIneS statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of linsert name of applicable listed body]l. Delete [ ] rfnot applicable. I have compted my examination. I confim) that no material matters have come to my attentton in ¢onnection with the examination (other than that disclosed below") whith gtves me use to believe that in, any material respe¢X: the awounting records were not kept in accordan with section 130 of the Charities Act,. or the aGGounts did not accord with the accounting records,. or the acuntS did not compty with the applicable requirements ConMing the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and ReF()rts) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts gtve a true and fairf view vthich is not a matter consKlered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems arKI have come across no other rnatte in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. . Please delete the in Ihe bTrckets rfthey do not apply. Signed: Date: Name: Relevant professional qualification{s) or body Ps IER Oct 2018