## ANNUAL REPORT September 2023 ## Slaithwaite Community Association Slaithwaite Community Centre Bankgate Slaithwaite Huddersfield HD7 5DL ## Registered Charity No. 516991 www.slaithwaitecommunitycentre.org info@slaithwaitecommunitycentre.org bookings@slaithwaitecommunitycentre.org ## **Introduction** In 1983 the Church of England infants’ School in Slaithwaite closed and its pupils transferred to the Junior School at Two Gates. A number of local people expressed an interest in using the school building as a meeting place for local groups. A public meeting was held, which was very well- attended, and support was expressed for this idea. There was a strong feeling that a building that had served the village for over 100 years should not be lost. The owner of the building, Lord Dartmouth, agreed to lease the building for community purposes with the responsibility for its maintenance to be in the hands of an elected committee. The Association is a registered charity and as well as its role as the Managing Committee for the Community Centre it has the aim of encouraging and promoting community life in Slaithwaite. It seeks to achieve this by providing facilities at a reasonable cost for the groups and organisations that meet at the Centre and also by helping to facilitate events that bring together the many interest groups in the village as well as people of all ages who do not belong to any organised group. All residents of Slaithwaite are considered to be members of the Association and there is no membership fee. The association is run by a committee of volunteers elected at the Annual General meeting held in the autumn. Its meetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend. ## **Trustees and Committee** Mr Gordon Beever -Trustee Mrs Susan Fell - Trustee Mr John Scott - Trustee Chairperson – Linda Hinchliffe Vice Chairperson –Angela Fischer Treasurer – Andrew Garsed Secretary – Julie Shaw Pam Wood Richard Izzard Kim Soothill (Meals on Wheels) Anna King Heather Copley Kathy Bugg (Slubbing Billy’s) ## **Slaithwaite Community Centre** The Community Centre continues to thrive and is home to a variety of community groups and organisations. This year the number of regular user groups has remained constant, and the centre is busy on all weekday evenings. We have no regular weekly bookings at weekends, but there are many one- off events and the centre is a popular venue for children’s parties. In November we had a very successful and enjoyable ceilidh at the centre and the money raised was shared between the centre and Slaithwaite Moonraking. This year we also hosted a weaving exhibition over two weekends in association with the Woven in Kirklees festival. This was well attended and we had many new visitors to the centre. ## **Groups Currently Involved in the centre are:** Merrydale Private Day Nursery Slaithwaite After School and Holiday Club Slaithwaite Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Explorers Slaithwaite Rainbows and Brownies Slubbing Billy’s Pilates Classes Languages for Fun Meals on Wheels Soul Choir Bodyrockerz Community Baby and Toddlers Group (BaTs) All groups are encouraged to nominate a representative to attend the monthly committee meetings. In this way we aim to ensure that decision making about the centre rests with those who use it. ## **Centre Developments** . This year maintenance and refurbishment of the building has been our main focus. As the centre is an old building there are always new challenges –identifying leaks in the roof, minor repairs, maintenance of boilers – the list is endless. Our major work has been improvements to the North Hall. We have had joinery work done to improve the cupboards, the boiler boxed in, and had the whole hall redecorated. The result is a brighter and pleasanter room. With the rising price of utility bills we have made improvements to reduce consumption – new LED lights in the kitchen and new heating thermostats in the North Hall and meeting room. The installation of an electricity Smart Meter will help us monitor consumption. We have identified several minor water leaks and had a water pressure regulator fitted in a bid to reduce our water bills. Merrydale Nursery has landscaped the small area outside the Babies Room and created an outside area for the children. We thank them for these improvements. We have a very small core group of volunteers who continue to work hard to maintain and develop the Community Centre, but we would still like to actively encourage the involvement of more local people who have a little time to spare. We would particularly welcome new committee members with fresh ideas who can help with the day-to-day running of the Centre and lighten the load of existing committee members. Jo Collier has stepped down from the committee and her position of Bookings Secretary and we would like to thank her for all the work she has done for us over the last 17 years. Jo has administered our bookings system, dealt with policies, maintained our web site and many other things; we will greatly miss her and her contribution. This in turn means we will need to find new members to help take over these tasks and with the general running of the centre. Our Vice-Chairperson, Ange Fischer has volunteered to take on the role of Bookings Secretary. ## **Slaithwaite Christmas Lights** This year we held a successful switch-on event for the Christmas lights again. Many thanks to Richard and his team for organising this and as always, many thanks to all the volunteers who helped with PAT testing and putting up and taking down the lights. This year the festoon lights remained until February to co-ordinate with the Moonraking festival.. We are grateful to all the shops, organisations and traders who once again stepped up and sponsored the lights. ## **Centre Plans for 2023/2024** We are looking at options for moving forward with some of the tasks that Jo did on our behalf like the web site. We have been wanting to update the website for some time and are now actively working on the new design. This should provide more information about hire of the centre and about our user groups. Our email addresses are also being improved. Once again one of our main focusses for next year is to recruit new members to our committee to help with the running of the Centre. We would like to attract new users to the Centre, particularly at weekends and during the day when the Centre is used less. ## **Acknowledgements** Thank you to all the committee members and volunteers for the huge amount of time and effort that has been invested in running the Centre. Everyone has been very supportive and stepped in at difficult times. Thank you to our Staff, Pam Wood, Kenny Carr and Gill Maginess, for carrying out their vital work and keeping the place running smoothly. Thanks also go to all the groups who continue to use and support the Centre. E AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUMt FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MAY 202 INCOME 2023 2022 Tradin8 Income 33,338 22.351 Grants 4.OCKJ Donations 5,024 145 Christmas Lights 4,607 1,994 Arts Festival Fundraisin8 531 Interest Recelved 323 18 43.823 28.508 PENDI Rates and Insurance 3.418 2,877 Water 1,832 526 Ll8hting and Heating 7,396 3,531 Provlslon for Bad Debts 82 Chrlstmas Llghts 2,662 1,523 Arts Festival Wa8es 9.c￿l 8,559 Telephone and Broadband 334 Fundraising Activities 256 Repalrs and Renewals 7,817 5,051 Cleaning Materials 557 559 Accountanty 75 75 Wate Disposal 954 946 Sundry Expenses 851 1,255 Provlsion for Depreciation 5,378 3,173 27,829 Net Income 3,159 679 FIXED ASSEfs Boiler & Heating installation 404 Structural Improvements to Property Fittings & Equipment 14.233 15.815 18,853 12.940 Security Systems 66 33,087 29.225 TOTAL FIXED URRENT A Debtors & Prepald Expenses Cash atBank 6,534 62.015 64.406 Petty Cash in Hand 67,447 70,942 CURRENT UABIUTIES Credltor5 & Accrued expenses 3.067 5.859 6S.082 NET AS 97,467 94,307 FINANCED B ACCUMULTATED F NDS Balance as at 1st June 2021 94,307 93,628 Net Income for the year 3,159 679 ACCUMULTATED FUNDS 94.307 APPROVED BY AND SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE TRusfEES CHAIRPERSON INDEPENDEMf EXAMINERS'REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE SLAITHWAITE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Slaithwaite Community Association for the year ended 31 May 2023. Responslbblltles and basis of report As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {'the Act'l. I report In respect of my examination of the Trusys accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515){b) of the Act. Independent examlnerf5 Statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matter5 have come to my attentlon in connection wlth the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: l. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as requlred bv sectlon 130 of the Act. or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or 3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a pro er understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: Name: Address: S SIONE C¥&e, JLt4-13 gHmsFQ Date: