F
2025 Annual Report
Trustees’ Annual Report for the 1 August 2024 - 31 July 2025
Charity name: Solihull Lodge Community Association Charity registration number: 523009
1. Trustees’ Annual Report
Objectives and Activities
The Centre is established for the benefit of the community in Solihull Lodge and surrounding areas by providing a safe, welcoming space for education, recreation, and community activities to promote social welfare, unity, and personal development.
Objectives
The objectives of the Centre are to provide facilities for recreation, education, and other community-focused activities for the benefit of the residents of Solihull Lodge and surrounding areas.
The Centre’s objectives are:
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Provide facilities for social, cultural, educational, and recreational activities.
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Support community development and inclusion.
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Promote health and wellbeing through events and activities.
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Encourage volunteerism and local engagement.
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To provide development opportunities to members of the community through engagement with the above activities.
Achievements and Performance
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The Centre relaunched its official Facebook and Instagram pages to connect with the community and promote hirer activities.
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We have hosted community gatherings, launched a bar service, and introduced regular events including tabletop sales and Christmas Day support services.
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Replaced a leaking roof and installed new toilet facilities.
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Volunteers have taken on roles from managing the building to event planning, marketing, and fundraising including writing grants.
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Dozens of volunteers have joined, taking on everything from gardening and decorating to running classes and fundraising.
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Our premises have enabled a range of community groups to operate. These include Computer skills training, children's dance groups, adult tap dancing, card making, Slimming World, dog training, board games
Financial Review
The charity is a going concern with regular income of over £30,000 pa coming from lettings and bar sales.
Additionally grants and donations of over £80,000 were obtained during the year to pay for roof repairs and new toilets.
Any surplus funds are being used to renovate and redecorate the centre. We hold enough reserves to cover 2 months utility bills.
There is a significant amount of renovation work and repairs that need to be done and we will be dependent on obtaining grants to complete this.
Structure, Governance and Management
The charity is governed by a Constitution document dated 26TH September 1969 as amended on 11 Mar 2025 as amended on 04 Feb 2025. The charity is an unincorporated association.
Trustees are appointed by a majority vote of the existing trustees at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) or an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).
Trustees may co-opt individuals onto the board to fill vacancies or to bring in additional expertise and skills. Co-opted Trustees shall serve until the next AGM, where they may stand for formal election should there be others wishing to also stand for the position.
We have a comprehensive set of policies that we expect all trustees and volunteers to read and agree to.
The day to day management of the charity and the centre is carried out by a management committee, which comprises the trustees, regular hirers and key volunteers. We work closely with other community groups and local businesses and have the support of the Solihull Community Development Team
Reference and Administrative details
Charity name Solihull Lodge Community Association
Registered charity number 532009
Charity’s principal address Grafton Road, Shirley, Solihull B90 1NJ
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| Trustee Name | Office Held | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Compton | Chairperson | 01 July 2024 |
| Dawn Cox | 01 December 2023 | |
| Fiona Henderson | 01 December 2023 | |
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s)
Full name(s) Jen Compton
Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Chair of Trustees Date 23/04/2026
Contact Information
For inquiries, questions, or further information, please contact:
Solihull Lodge Community Centre Grafton Road, Shirley, Solihull B90 1NJ 07578501635
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Website : https://slca.org.uk/
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Email : info@slca.org.uk
Solihull Lodge Community Association Date : 16/03/2026
Appendix - Treasurers Report
Introduction
This report is intended to reassure the Charity Commission that the financial administration of the charity has significantly improved and is now at an acceptable standard.
I became Treasurer of Solihull Lodge Community Association in November 2025, several months following the period covered by the 24/25 accounts. I attended the last AGM. I am the secretary / treasurer of a small charity that supports a school (Marjorie Willis Educational Foundation charity number 532309).
I have been a Governor / Trustee of Alderbrook School for around 30 years. This is a large successful Single Academy Trust. I chaired the Business Management Committee for 10 years. This included the oversight of a £10M+ budget.
While I do not have formal accountancy training, I have experience with book keeping systems, financial reporting and audits.
Review of the Year
Shortly before the period covered in these accounts, responsibility for the centre was taken over by new trustees, who have done an amazing job.
There is still much left to do, but the centre is now thriving and sustainable, all spare income is being plowed back into refurbishing and improving the premises.
During this period of intense activity, the centre finances were managed simply with a current and a savings account. A record of restricted funds was kept in a spreadsheet. There was no named bookkeeper or treasurer, and no bookkeeping system in place. Receipts were scanned and filed on Google drive, either in project or monthly folders.
Requests for the payment of expenses were made using Whatsapp messages, while this process was less than ideal, It is worth noting that spending was approved by a second trustee.
Some larger bills were paid by individuals and claimed back later. While not best practice, it shows a commitment to making the centre a success.
During this period, online payment systems for sales and lettings revenue were implemented (HallMaster/Stripe and PayPal), reducing / eliminating the use of cheques and cash.
A Xero subscription was started near the end of the financial year and the bank account feeds were set up / imported.
Management of Restricted Funds:
The only restricted funds received were in the form of two grants from Heart of England. The spend against these grants was recorded in a spreadsheet. They have since been assigned as restricted funds in Xero. I am satisfied that restricted funds were correctly spent.
Actions taken by the treasurer
These actions were after the financial year.
Xero Updates
Stripe and PayPal have been added as feeds into Xero, and historical transactions imported. The Accounts in Xero now Balance and all revenue has been reviewed and re-allocated as either lettings, sales, grants or donations. Transaction fees and security deposits are now recorded separately.
Restricted funds and associated expenditure has been allocated to a tracking category.
Management of Receipts
There are a number of expense transactions where multiple receipts were bundled together into a single expense claim. Multiple receipts were often scanned into the same document.
Having looked through the available receipts and invoices, all expenditure is consistent with the activities and work carried out.
Errors found.
I found one payment error, I believe this was simply a result of miscommunication. An invoice for Hallmaster was paid twice, by bank transfer and by PayPal. The people who made the payments did not have visibility of the other payment system used.
Other actions
These do not relate to the period being audited, but are mentioned here as they are improvements that needed to be put in place.
I would expect these to be recommendations from the auditors.
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The trustees have agreed to change the charity to a CIO. I have assisted in creating these documents, which are based on the Charity Commission template.
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The lease and Land Registration are unfortunately in the names of former trustees. The lease has under 6 years to run.
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We have begun the process of obtaining a new lease.
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The bank account has now been changed to require 2 person payment approvals.
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Debit cards are now being used for purchases instead of individuals using their own funds. This also avoids multiple receipts on an expense claim.
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Implemented the use of Xero for capturing receipts, which also makes reconciliation easier. Copies of receipts are now being stored in Xero rather than Google Drive.
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Trustees have now signed the HMRC “fit and proper person” declaration.
The accounts have been independently audited, this process has delayed submission to the Charity Commission.
Conclusions
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The finances of the charity were being managed appropriately during 2024-2025, albeit with simple / minimal record keeping.
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I can see no evidence of misuse of funds.
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All expenditure is in line with the aims and objectives of the charity.
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Eliminating the use of cash was a significant improvement, providing clear visibility of revenue.
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Xero, an online bookkeeping system, is now in use, with expenditure associated with the invoice/receipts.
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Financial risks have been significantly reduced, by the use of debit cards and 2 person payment approvals.
The community centre operated by the charity is now thriving, it was awarded Small Charity of the year by Solihull Council.
It is a going concern with regular sustainable income, and is providing a clear benefit to the local community.
Roger Leitch BSc Hons Treasurer 07508790187
Charity Name No (if any) Solihull Lodge Community Association 523009 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 1 August 2024 31 July 2025
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds
| Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted |
Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted |
Restricted | Endowment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to the nearest £ A1 Receipts Lettings revenue 30,325 Cateringand Bar Sales 2,922 Ticketed Events 847 Grants 400 Donations 7,913 Interest 66 - 42,473 - - Sub total - Total receipts 42,473 A3 Payments Utilities 8,495 BuildingRennovation 21,329 Maintenance / repairs 8,036 funds Sub total(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
to the nearest £ - - - 67,225 - - - - 67,225 - - - 67,225 - 67,225 - funds |
to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - funds |
Total funds to the nearest £ 30,325 2,922 847 67,625 7,913 66 - - 109,698 - - - 109,698 8,495 88,554 8,036 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
Utilities |
8,495 | - | - | 8,495 | - |
| BuildingRennovation | 21,329 | 67,225 | - | 88,554 | - |
| Maintenance / repairs | 8,036 | - | - | 8,036 | - |
05/27/2026
1
| Administration cost | 9,578 | - | - | 9,578 | - | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catering/Bar Stock | 2,481 | - | - | 2,481 | - | ||||
| Bank ./ Transaction Fees | 557 | - | - | 557 | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Adjustment B2&B5 - |
227 | - | - | 227 | - | ||||
| ~~S i~~ ~~/P~~ ~~P l/D~~ ~~i~~ |
- | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total | 50,703 | 67,225 | - | 117,928 | - |
| A4 Asset and investment | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| purchases, (see table) | |||||||||||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||
| **Total payments ** | 50,703 | 67,225 | - | 117,928 | - | ||||||||||||||
| **Net of receipts/(payments) ** | - 8,230 | - | - | - 8,230 | - | ||||||||||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end | 11,577 | - | - | 11,577 | - | ||||||||||||||
| **Cash funds this year end ** | 3,347 | - | - | 3,347 | - | ||||||||||||||
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories unds |
Details Cash in Bank Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ 3,347 - 3,347 OK Unrestricted funds |
to nearest £ - - - - OK Restricted funds |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| OK |
B1 Cash funds
05/27/2026
2
B2 Other monetary assets
B3 Investment assets
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use
| Details Held with Stripe |
to nearest £ 772 - - - - - Unrestricted funds |
to nearest £ - - - - - - Restricted funds |
to nearest £ Endowment funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Held with Stripe | 772 | - | - |
| - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | |
| - | - | - |
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) - - - - - |
Current value (optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - |
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) - - - - - - - |
Current value (optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - | ||
| - | - |
05/27/2026
3
B5 Liabilities
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
| - | - | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | ||||||
| Fund to which | Amount due | When due | |||||
| Details | liability relates | (optional) | (optional) | ||||
| Security Deposits | 465 | ||||||
| Held with PayPal | 81 | ||||||
| - | |||||||
| - | |||||||
| - |
Date of Signature Print Name approval Roger Leitch
05/27/2026
4
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Charity Name SOLIHULL LODGE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION members of
On accounts for the year 31[st] JULY 2025 Charity no 523009 ended (if any) Set out on pages 1 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended DD / MM / YYYY .
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Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act
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of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the 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 Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Signed: Date: 26/05/2026 Name: MICHELLE VINCENT Relevant professional ACCA qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: FRUITION ACCOUNTANCY LIMITED 29 WOOD STREET STRATFORD UPON AVON CV37 6JG
1
October 2018
IER
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 examiner wishes to disclose .
2
October 2018
IER