High Harrington Community Centre Crooklands High Harrington Workington CA14 4NJ
Annual Report
End of Year March 2024
Names of Trustees
Judith Frazer Will Laird Celean Messenger Victoria Jones Marie Pearson Linda Hunter Ron Foster Lisa Rodgers
Chair Vice Chair Treasurer Secretary
High Harrington Community Centre Annual Report 2024
Trustees Celean Messenger 1[st] August 2022 Judith Frazer 19[th] January 2023 Charity Number 520320 Bankers Cumberland Building Society 21 Pow Street Workington Cumbria CA 14 3AG
High Harrington Community Centre Annual Report 2024
History
Dating in part from the early 1950’s the hall was gifted to the community by Mrs Mossop, the centre is greatly appreciated community asset central too much of the village’s social life. Used extensively by local residents and community groups from High Harrington and surrounding areas. Providing an adaptable facility it is able to accommodate a variety of uses including children's parties, dances, weddings, christenings, keep fit, conferences, small business meetings and by Cumbria County Council as a polling station.
The Hall is operated and maintained by a committee of local volunteers meetings being held monthly, with an Annual General Meeting held in April.
Regular users include Ladies club, Pilates, Yoga, Wildlife club and Children’s dance classes.
The Hall hosts children’s' birthday, Family parties and evening social events for the community.
About us
We are a group of volunteers of all different ages who have come together to help the community save the centre from closure, there were still people using the centre at the time so it was a good opportunity to get some new blood in and bring in some more business. The centre is a viable community hub for people of High Harrington and surrounding areas.
Appointment of Trustees/Committee
Appointments of trustees are elected at the AGM each year.
In addition from the Management Committee the Centre which has the power to co-opt further trustees at any properly constituted meeting of the Committee throughout the year.
All members are required to retire at the end of the AGM but may then be re-elected or reappointed.
The Trustees require that all members to sign the minute book of the committee a declaration of acceptance and willingness to act for the Centre. The Committee is required to hold at least seven meetings a year. The Chair of the Committee may appoint a Vice Chair.
Voting shall be determined by the way of a simple majority; the Chair has the casting vote.
Hiring Agreement
Use of the centre is subject to a Hiring Agreement which should be signed by the hirer when booking. The hirer agreement sets out the conditions of the hire and identifies the respective responsibilities of each party to the agreement.
High Harrington Community Centre Annual Report 2024
Insurance
The Management Committee recognises that it is under a legal obligation to protect the building, its users and any employees throughout adequate and appropriate insurance. The Centre is insured with respect to property damage ( buildings insurance) by Allied Westminster (£231.338 cover). It is insured with the same company with respect to contents, public liability (£15,00,00) employers liability (10,000,00) liable and slander (£100,000).
Building Issues
-
Gas appliances and portable electrical appliances are tested by qualified personnel.
-
The mains electrical installation is checked by a qualified engineer.
-
A Fire Safety Risk Assessment will be carried out bi-annually.
-
Fire appliances are inspected.
-
Volunteers from the Committee carry out other regular maintenance checks.
Objectives
-
Provision of the Community Centre for the inhabitants of High Harrington and surrounding areas without distinction of political, religious or other opinions.
-
Use the Community Centre for meetings, classes and any other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the condition of life for the inhabitants of High Harrington and the surrounding areas.
Principal Activities in pursuit of Objectives
-
The Centre continues to be used for a variety of activities, including hire for events and parties and regular hire for sporting and social events.
-
The Centre is available for hire for private functions including children’s parties, wedding receptions, funeral teas, village social functions and fundraising fairs.
Volunteers
Management costs are minimised through the use of volunteers who are the Trustees on the Management Committee. Volunteer time is given to cover routine tasks such as bookings, management and routine maintenance. In addition, trustees / committee members give considerable time each month for meetings and organising and running fund raising events.
I would like to thank all members of the committee for their work during the course of the last 12 month. All time and effort is very much appreciated.
High Harrington Community Centre Annual Report 2024
The Chair’s Report
It has been a good year for the Community Centre, the number and diversity of our users has continued to grow. This has been achieved by the hard work and dedication of the committee.
We the committee would like to thank the Ladies Club and Tina’s Fitness for their continued support over the past year. West Coast Karate has moved on to a new venue and we wish them well and thank them for using the centre for the past seven years.
This year has seen an increase in the use of the centre for private parties. We have been supported by Ground Work Trust and have run a wildlife club that has been enjoyed by all ages. As regular uses will know, we are busy improving the facilities we offer, we have had grants from Workington Town Council which allowed us to buy the paint needed to decorate the centre. The National Lottery supplies funding to replace the kitchen, external doors and windows and with additional funding from Ospray Management we were able to sand and varnish the floor in the main hall. Nuclear Waste Service has funded for new paths and allowed us to upgrade the surface of our existing parking area. We have purchased new blinds with a donation from Decommissioning Alliance.
The Community Centre has received help from the Community Payback Team and local businesses.
Derwent Recycling let us have a skip for free. Local Farmer Alan Hardy provided us with free trailers to take away unwanted foliage. Philip and Alison Carruthers provided us with terrain, chippings and top soil and the Galloping Horse gave us some tables and a bench to upcycle. We would like to thank Graham and Mark for fitting the kitchen. The Community Centre relies on goodwill and generosity and we are grateful for all the support.
We are looking for additional Trustees to join us to ensure the Community Centre continues to prosper.
Mrs Judith Frazer (Chair)
March 2024
High Harrington Community Centre Annual Report 2024
Treasure’s Report
As allowed by Charity Commission rules our accounts are prepared on a simple receipts and expenditure basis.
This is our first full year as a committee for the Centre, looking over last year’s accounts the hire income was £4,509.00. We have quite a few new hirers now which is fantastic. This year we have received funding from a few organisations.
| FundingCompany | Amount/what for | Used/awaitingusage |
|---|---|---|
| The National Lottery | We were awarded £9,840.00 to use for a new kitchen, some new windows, fire doors to the front and rear of the centre and money towards revamping the floor. |
We now have a new kitchen, fire doors, windows and a fabulous floor. |
| Workington Town Council | We were awarded £300.00 to help with the redecoration of the centre. |
We now have quite a few areas in the centre painted and its lookingreally good |
| Ospray Group | We were awarded £1,796.00 towards the revamping of the floor in the centre. |
The floor is now fully finished and looks fabulous. |
| The Decommissioning Alliance | We were given £500.00 form them to use on the centre in how we felt would most help. |
This has now been used to buy new blinds. |
| Fibrus | We were awarded £2,000 to use to buy a laptop, ipad's, projector, PA system, wireless heating hub and a wireless camera hub and money towards paying for broadband. |
|
| Geological Disposal Facility | We were awarded £35,472 for new path ways and a new parkingarea. |
The new pathways and parking spaces have now been finished. |
| Cumberland County Council | We were awarded £1,233.00 to buy benches and raised flower beds for our community garden. |
Our routine running costs were this year £2,998.19 which is comfortably below the income from hire of the hall and allows for expenditure on some improvements as well as accumulating funds for replacement, when necessary, of worn out assets.
Overall, I believe our financial position is generally satisfactory although we are conscious of increased costs in the pipeline, especially for energy, which may not be covered by the recent slight increase in hire charges.
Celean Messenger, March 2024
High Harrington Community Centre Annual Report 2024
High Harrington Community Centre - End of Year Accounts Ending 31[st] March 2024
| Income Hire of the Centre |
2023/24 | Income Hire of the Centre | 2022/23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lady’s Club | £1,320.00 | Lady’s Club | £670.00 | |
| Karate | £1,260.00 | Karate | £1,125.00 | |
| Dance Classes | £1,250.00 | Dance Classes | £362.50 | |
| Party’s | £640.00 | Cash | £1182.50 | |
| Events | £540.00 | Taekwondo | £165.00 | |
| Little Wide World | £40.00 | Voting | £400.00 | |
| Donation | £40.00 | Cheques | £685.00 | |
| Total | £5,090.00 | Total | £4,509.00 | |
| Expenditure | Expenditure | |||
| Gas | £1,164.07 | Gas | £1.240.33 | |
| Electricity | £1,045.86 | Electricity | £242.00 | |
| Water | £245.77 | Water | £423.95 | |
| Insurance | £542.49 | Insurance | £501.93 | |
| Other Expenses | £4,244.46 | Other Expenses | £153.94 | |
| Total | £7,242.65 | Total | £2,562.15 |
We have £24,594.96 money in the bank as of March 2024
C Messenger Treasurer March 2024
High Harrington Community Centre Annual Report 2024
Future Plans
Looking ahead we will continue to promote the centre and continue to improve the facilities we offer. This year’s project is to create a Community Garden that can be enjoyed by all ages and also looking into other opportunity’s to help the centre thrive.
The centre is presently able to meet its on-going financial obligations through regular hiring. We will, however, continue to explore fundraising and grant opportunities and The Committee also recognises the need to be proactive in marketing the centre effectively and continuing to seek additional new hirers for the centre.
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees/committee
Signature:
Full name: Celean Messenger
Position: Treasurer / Trustee
Dated: Signature:
Full name: Judith Frazer Position: Chair / Trustee Dated: Signature:
Full name: Marie Pearson
Position: Trustee Dated:
High Harrington Community Centre Annual Report 2024