## **LLANDINAM VILLAGE HALL** ## **ANNUAL REPORT 2023** With Accounts for the period 1st November 2022 to 31st October 2023 "The provision and maintenance of a ViIIage HaII for use by the inhabitants of Llandinam without distinction of political, religious or other opinions" ## **The Annual Report** This report has been prepared in accordance with Charity Commission Guidance and the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities (SORP). ## **Registered Charity** Llandinam Village Hall is a Registered Charity, number 524410. Its trustees form a Management Committee responsible for all aspects of the management of the Hall. ## **Aims** The objective of the Charity is stated in its governing document as: "the provision and maintenance of a Village Hall for use by the inhabitants of Llandinam without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for meetings, lectures and classes and other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation, with the objective of improving conditions of life for the inhabitants". ## **Public Benefit** The Village Hall Management Committee has complied with its duty to have due regard to the guidance on Public Benefit published by the Charity Commission in exercising its powers and duties. The Charity fulfils its Public Benefit requirement by maintaining and managing Llandinam Village Hall for use of local people and the public generally; by making and implementing plans for improving and developing the Hall so that it may better serve local people and to make full use of the Hall as a Community Asset; and by promoting use of the Hall for local people and others in accordance with its charitable objectives. Llandinam Community Council is the Custodian Trustee of the Village Hall, as the terms of the Constitution do not allow the trustees to own the property. The Community Council appoints two trustees to sit on the Management Committee but has no other responsibility for the management of the Hall Llandinam Village Hall is a member of the Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO). Llandinam Village Hall is a Grade 2 Listed Building. ## **OUR PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITIES** The purpose of the Village Hall is set out in our Constitution: to make the conditions of life better, by education, meetings and social occasions. It is there not only for all inhabitants of the village but also for others who want somewhere to meet. Most of us have friends and relatives in the neighbouring villages and towns. Sometimes we want somewhere to meet and relax and where we can share our common interests - everything from Tai Chi to local history, from table tennis to quizzes and from theatre to music. The Management Committee is appointed annually, by a mixture of direct election at the AGM and appointment by the associated clubs and societies. It is this committee that is responsible for the day to-day running of the Hall repairing the fabric of the building and maintaining the facilities. The Committee has to comply with various responsibilities and legal requirements such as those relating to health and safety matters. There are also licensing laws, relating to the regulation of public entertainment and the sale of alcohol. As a landlord, the Committee also has an obligation to its tenant, which is exercised on its behalf by Mr Mike Harris. Additional requirements arise out of the fact that the Hall is a Grade 2 Listed Building and any repairs and alterations have to take account of the relevant regulations. ## **OUR FACILITIES AND RESOURCES** The Village Hall provides the facilities for a whole range of activities. It has two meeting rooms, the Girls' Parlour and the Library. The main hall can accommodate concerts, dances and exhibitions. There is also a Snooker Room. On the ground floor there is a fully equipped kitchen and a bar, with a wheelchair-accessible toilet complete with alarm. On the first floor there is a single toilet and small kitchen. There is a wheelchair ramp to the main entrance and a stair lift to give disabled access to the Girls' Parlour. A portable ramp is available to make the stair lift more accessible as there are two stone steps at the entrance. The Committee continues to improve the fabric of the building from year to year as funds allow. Given that the Hall is over 100 years old, it is in remarkably good shape in general and the external aspect of the lovely listed building looks very fine. After a major phase of restoration, followed by difficulties associated with COVID, we can assess the benefits of what has been achieved over the last few years and begin to plan for further renovation and renewal. The current reinstatement costs are now £2,800,000. This change had a consequential effect on our insurance premium as from September 2020, but, at least, the building is now well protected. Of course, with an old and beautiful building such as this, further work needs to be done for which funding has to be found, alongside the constant annual support from the P& L Trust and Community Council for which we are most grateful. The Trustees have a policy of employing local tradesmen wherever possible, although, for specialist work, like the pointing and chimneys, they have to look further afield and some of these specialisms are becoming more difficult to find. Nevertheless, it is a great pleasure to report that the chimneys have now been repaired. The Snooker Room is in use once again for the purpose for which it was intended and the designated no parking spaces to allow access for the disabled at the front of the Hall are in place. Faced with ever increasing costs, the Trustees took the decision to raise hire charges by 10% from 1 November 2021. Given the impact of the Covid pandemic on activities, it is difficult to assess fully what the impact of these increases has been, but the indications in this current year are that our activities have all resumed and that our finances are on even keel. The bar, ably managed by Chris and Glen Eatherton and now Marg, has played a vital role in our finances throughout this challenging period. ## **USE OF THE FACILITIES** The Hall is used primarily by groups from within the village and many of these groups are represented directly or indirectly on the Management Committee. The users include the Whist Club, Scrabble, Quiz Nights, Games Nights, the Royal British Legion, the Gardening Club and the WI with their regular meetings. Regular Tuesday lunches and festive lunches and dinners for the whole Community, like the Community Christmas Dinner have also provided by Chris and Glen Eatherton and the WI. Since the closure of The Lion pub in September 2018, the Village Hall has been well placed to offer a bar from Fridays to Sundays. The bar manager is Glen Eatherton and she is supported and assisted by the indefatigable Chris Eatherton and a growing band of helpers. This dedicated band have done a heroic job keeping the beer flowing and done wonders for morale in general, not to mention maintaining the income stream for the Hall. Chris and Glen retired at our last AGM, with Marg then taking over the reins. This is very demanding work and we are most grateful to them all for their commitment, dedication and professionalism in difficult times. Our village Post Office has been available in the Library most Tuesday mornings from 9 -11, when regulations allowed and Tracy Morgan, assisted by Sue Jackson, run the ‘Pop Up Coffee Shop’ offering a range of hot drinks and treats in the Hall from 9.30 – 11.30. This means that the village has a social space for us all to meet and have a chat as well as use the full range of Post Office facilities. We are extremely grateful to Colin and Mary Davies of Llangurig Post Office for providing this important service. This year, we have been able to hold an increasing number of meetings, coffee mornings, bingo sessions, tea at 3 once a month on Thursdays, a Christmas dinner, a New Years Eve celebration and host two performances of plays, thanks to Jean Carter. Any ideas for the use of the Hall and its facilities are always warmly welcomed by the Committee. This is partly a question of economics, to ensure the best possible income for the Hall but also because the interests and needs of the inhabitants cannot always be met by organisations based in the village. After some difficult times, life is returning to normal and that a full range of activities can be now offered. ## **COVID** We were able to hold our AGM in May 2023 at the right time for the first time since Covid struck and the Management Committee has been able to hold its regular meetings. I am extremely grateful to the trustees and, especially the officers, for keeping the wheels on the wagon as we emerge from the impact of the pandemic. Kath Davies has continued in the role of Administrative Secretary and Mike Brennan has taken over as Treasurer, with patience and skill. Jasmine Anderson has taken on responsibility for bookings and, incidentally, reduced the average age of the committee by a considerable margin. In short, we can say that normal service is being restored. It wih a sense of pride that I would like to thank all the trustees for their hard work and dedication to our wonderful Village Hall. ## **FINANCES** The accounts are prepared in accordance with the rules regulating registered charities, in particular the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP). The funds fall below the amount requiring a full audit and are, instead, independently examined by Kevin Morris of Mitchell & Meredith. He has provided an Examiner's Report to the trustees, on the end of year 2023, a copy of which is available on request and which is lodged with the Charity Commission and will be published on the Village Hall website. Kevin Morris has examined the end of year accounts for 2023, following the acceptance of the draft end of year report for 2023 by the Trustees at their meeting on 10 January 2023. Despite the challenges of recent years, it is good to be able to report that there are no matters for concern in the way the accounts are kept or the way in which they are reported. The accounts for the period 2022 -2023 and the balance sheet as at 31 October 2023, signed off by Mr Kevin Morris, are attached to this report. ## **MANAGEMENT** As part of our responsibilities the Trustees have had to take into account the current requirements regarding health and safety and, in recent years, we have had to comply with very stringent guidelines at all times to keep our community safe. We continue to review our procedures and trust that they will help all users of the Hall to operate safely and efficiently. To assist in the efficient running of the Hall there are three sub-committees: Restoration and Maintenance, now led by Mike Jones, the Bar, now led by Marg and Fundraising, in the very capable hands of Tracey Morgan. In addition to the day-to-day maintenance of the premises, the Restoration and Maintenance Committee is responsible for arranging and coordinating the continuing upkeep of the Hall, even in a pandemic. The Maintenance Schedule ensures that items such as fire alarms, fire extinguishers and the electrical systems are checked on a regular basis, that the Hall complies with relevant legislation and that preventative maintenance is carried out to preserve the fabric of the building as required. The Bar Committee supports the bar manager suggesting appropriate prices, though they have to be agreed by the whole committee, making sure that stocks are at an appropriate level and that any bar staff are properly trained. The Bar Committee has been in the eye of the storm again this year, opening at weekends when the regulations permit and ensuring that our income is better than it otherwise would have been. We owe Chris and Glen and now Marg a huge debt of thanks. Thanks are also due to Mike Jones, who has taken on responsibility for the Maintenance Committee. Our Village Hall is one of the most used, versatile and beautiful of its kind anywhere. That it keeps going is thanks to the Trustees, who give many hours of time to its affairs, as well as the many volunteers. Without them the Hall would not be the vibrant hub of the Community that we all know it to be. It is wonderful to be able to report that the Village Hall is now fully open and is looking forward to the future with confidence. ## IN MEMORIAM It is with great sadness that we record the sudden death of our Vice Chair, Stuart Marvin, who died while on holiday in September 2023. He actually chaired the last AGM as the Chair was unable to attend. He is greatly missed as we record out thanks to him for his calm dedication. Chair: Bill Brooks; Deputy Chair; Chris Beaman (IT); Treasurer: Michael Brennan (Community Council); Administrative Secretary: Kathy Davies; Bookings Secretary; Jasmine Anderson; Gareth Davies; Chris Eatherton (Gardening Club); Susan Jackson (Llandinam WI); Mike Jones (Community Council); Tracy Morgan( Llandinam School PTA); Maria Vaughan; Eryl Williams, Chris Beaman, Gareth Cook, Steve Wheatley, Jenny Anderson. Sub-Committees: Maintenance and Restoration: Chris Eatherton, Mike Jones Bar: Glen Eatherton (Manager), Marg, (from May 2023) , Chris Eatherton, Gareth Davies Fund-raising: Tracy Morgan, Maria Vaughan, Sue Jackson . ## **VISION FOR THE FUTURE** There is always further work to be done on the fabric of the Hall to ensure that the building remains structurally sound and as energy efficient as possible and that the original beauty of the building inside and outside is maintained. We have made progress even at this most difficult time, with the chimney stacks repaired and cleaned, some internal decoration completed and we will be able to do more, not least on the internal refurbishment of the Hall, in the years ahead. We should not forget the Hall's own history and the history of Llandinam which is bound up with it. It gives a sense of continuity and identity that will surely be needed in the future. Our Trustees are vital to our endeavours and we are delighted to welcome new people, like Jasmine and Jenny Anderson, Gareth Cook and Steve Wheatley who can bring their own skills and gifts to our work. We hope that more volunteers, young and old, will feel motivated to follow in the footsteps of those who are leaving us. We want to encourage people to help in the Hall in whatever capacity and with whatever skills and time they have: many hands running the bar, for example, or an internet café make lighter work for everyone. The Hall can count on a bright future, but we always need more people to step forward with new enthusiasms and energy. We have a splendid Village Hall and a vibrant community life, but we have to make it happen. That we are as successful as we are is due to the effort that has been put in over the generations. We are confident that that effort will be sustained into the future. ## **LLANDINAM VILLAGE HALL** ## **Income and expenditure Account for the year to 31[st] October 2023** ||2023|LAST YEAR TO 2022| |---|---|---| |**INCOME**|£|£| |Bar takings|37116|32930| |Rent|4200|4200| |Hall hire|2309|3804| |Donations|1633|4700| |Snooker|22|| |Fund raising|1774|1515| |Misc|58|85| |Interest received|46|3| ||47158|47237| |**EXPENDITURE**||| |Bar purchases|26320|20182| |Insurance|3189|2744| |Licences|359|249| |Light and heat and water rates|4349|3257| |Mobile Telephone and Broadband Expenses|1261|1197| |Cleaning|1762|1394| |Drama|864|520| |Maintenance|7143|237| |Repairs and renewals|784|| |Miscellaneous|1149|2467| |SumUp card payment charges|4|| ||47183|32247| |**Excess of expenditure over income**|-£25|14990| **LLANDINAM VILLAGE HALL Balance sheet as at 31[st] October 2023** ## **At 31/10/2023** |Fixed assets|||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Land and Buildings|||2,800,000||2,800,000| |Current assets|||||| |Cash in hand|37,96|||681|| |Current account|34,857|||38,223|| |Reserve Account|7,102|||7,056|| |Bar stock|1,980|||1,800|| |Tenancy deposit|350|||350|| ||48,085|||48,110|| |Current liabilities|-||||| |creditors|-|||-|| ||||48,085||48,110| ||||£2,848,085||£2,848,119| |**Financed by**|||||| |Funds brought forward|2,848,110|||2,833,120|| |Income (Deficit) for the|-|25||14,990|| |year|||||| ||||£2,848,085||£2,848,110| ## **LLANDINAM VILLAGE HALL** ## **Income and expenditure Account for the year to 31[st] October 2023** ||2023|LAST YEAR TO 2022| |---|---|---| |**INCOME**|£|£| |Bar takings|37116|32930| |Rent|4200|4200| |Hall hire|2309|3804| |Donations|1633|4700| |Snooker|22|| |Fund raising|1774|1515| |Misc|58|85| |Interest received|46|3| ||47158|47237| |**EXPENDITURE**||| |Bar purchases|26320|20182| |Insurance|3189|2744| |Licences|359|249| |Light and heat and water rates|4349|3257| |Mobile Telephone and Broadband Expenses|1261|1197| |Cleaning|1762|1394| |Drama|864|520| |Maintenance|7143|237| |Repairs and renewals|784|| |Miscellaneous|1149|2467| |SumUp card payment charges|4|| ||47183|32247| |**Excess of expenditure over income**|-£25|14990| **LLANDINAM VILLAGE HALL Balance sheet as at 31[st] October 2023** ## **At 31/10/2023** |Fixed assets|||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Land and Buildings|||2,800,000||2,800,000| |Current assets|||||| |Cash in hand|37,96|||681|| |Current account|34,857|||38,223|| |Reserve Account|7,102|||7,056|| |Bar stock|1,980|||1,800|| |Tenancy deposit|350|||350|| ||48,085|||48,110|| |Current liabilities|-||||| |creditors|-|||-|| ||||48,085||48,110| ||||£2,848,085||£2,848,119| |**Financed by**|||||| |Funds brought forward|2,848,110|||2,833,120|| |Income (Deficit) for the|-|25||14,990|| |year|||||| ||||£2,848,085||£2,848,110|