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← U3A Chepstow Group

2025-12-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for the Year 2025

Period start date Period end date Day Month Year Day Month Year From 01 01 2025 To 31 12 2025

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name u3a Chepstow Group

Other names charity is known by Chepstow u3a Registered charity number (if any) 702771

Charity's principal address Windermere, Pwllmeyric, Chepstow Postcode NP16 6JS

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Shelagh Davies
Chairman (joint)
January to March
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~PsGG~~		 Shelagh Davies
Chairman (joint)
January to March
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~PsGG~~		 Shelagh Davies
Chairman (joint)
January to March
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~PsGG~~		 Shelagh Davies
Chairman (joint)
January to March
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~PsGG~~
Helen Kirkcaldy
Chairman (joint)
June to December
Executive committee
~~PsGG~~
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
Stephen Dance
Chairman (joint)
June to December
Executive Committee
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~PsOG~~
Hugh Hutton
Secretary
January to March
Executive Committee
~~PsOG~~
Rob Davies
Treasurer
January to December
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~PsOG~~
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~Se~~
~~OO~~
Brian Marshall
Treasurer
January to December
Chepstowu3a AGM
~~Se~~
~~OO~~
~~PsGG~~
Pamela Harrison
Committee Member
January to March
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~Se~~
~~OO~~
~~PsGG~~
Pamela Harrison
Committee Member
March to December
Executive Committee
~~PsGG~~
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~PsGG~~
Jenny Channing
Committee Member March to December
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~PsGG~~
Angela LeFevre
Committee Member March to December
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~PsGG~~
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
Derek Shottin
Committee member
January to March
Executive Committee
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~PsGG~~
Derek Shottin
Secretary
March to December
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~PsGG~~
Rosemary Parkhouse
Committee member
January to March
Executive Committee
~~PsGG~~
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~Se~~
~~OO~~
Rosemary Parkhouse
Committee member
March to December
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~Se~~
~~OO~~
~~PsGG~~
Sue Harkins
Committee member
January to March
Executive Committee
~~Se~~
~~OO~~
~~PsGG~~
Sue Harkins
Committee member
March to December
Chepstow u3a Committee
~~PsGG~~
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~PsGG~~
Tony Wilson
Committee member January to March
Executive Committee
~~PsGG~~
Tony Wilson
Committee member
March to December
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~PsGG~~
~~eG~~
~~GO~~
~~ee~~
Vivien Davies
Committee member January to March
Executive Committee
~~ee~~
~~ee~~
Vivien Davies
Committee member
March to November
Chepstow u3a AGM
~~ee~~
~~ee~~
Cathy Lewis
~~ee~~
~~eG~~		 Committee member
~~eG~~		 March to December
~~eG~~		 Chepstow u3a AGM
~~eG~~

Kay Hillier Committee member October to December

Executive Committee

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees) Name Dates acted if not for whole year None

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address None Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) None

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing Constitution dated 3[rd] March 2021 document

How the charity is Unincorporated Association constituted

Trustee selection Elected by members at AGM – all trustees are subject to re-election every year. Appointment by the Executive Committee (for casual vacancies) methods Co-option by the Executive Committee

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

Policies for Induction of Trustees:

  1. Charity Commission’s Charity Trustee – What’s Involved

  2. u3a Advice Sheet on Conduct for Trustees

  3. u3a Induction of Trustees

Organisation

Chepstow u3a is an operationally independent organisation under the umbrella of the Third Age Trust. The Committee deals with the financial and practical running of the charity. We have formed loose links with other u3as and other organisations for the promotion of our objectives.

Major Risks

No major risk considerations and management plans are currently in place but areas which could be of major risk are:

  1. Financial: these are controlled within the committee thus minimising the risk of fraud or error. Additional payment controls put in place to minimise the risk from scams was put in place 2022.

  2. Governance: each Trustee has specific responsibilities within the committee so they feel an integral part of the u3a.

  3. Compliance: Annual Accounts are reported to Charity Commission.

  4. u3a Risk assessments are completed by Group Leaders to assess risk factors at the venues used for their activities.

  5. A major review of our Risk Management was implemented in 2017 and the Risk Register is reviewed at least annually by the Committee (done in 2025).

Section C Objectives and activities

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Objectives
The advancement of education and, in particular, the informal education of
Summary of the objects of
older people and those who are retired from full time work by all means,
the charity set out in its
including associated activities conducive to learning, personal development,
governing document
and mental wellbeing.
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Summary of the main
activities undertaken for
the public benefit in
relation to these objects
(include within this section
the statutory declaration
that trustees have had
regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit)
Additional details of
objectives and activities
(Optional information)		 The Main Activities
The central focus of our u3a is our 79 activity groups, offering an eclectic mix of
educational, physical and social activities.
We also offer a range of social events, a monthly meeting, a monthly coffee
morning, a quiz afternoon, a skittles evening, a concert, a wine tasting evening.
In August we hold a picnic in the park with entertainment from our performance
groups, where members can gather with their friends and family to enjoy an
afternoon. In December we develop our events to have a Christmas theme.
We are a Monmouthshire stakeholder and participate fully in local community
discussions with Monmouthshire County Council and Chepstow Town Council.
We participate in community events such as the Chepstow Festival of Arts, and
we support our performance groups in their community concerts.
Tuesday Live Monthly Meetings
2025 saw a full programme of meetings in the community Drill Hall. Numbers
have slowly grown over the months. In December we invited the Chepstow
Male Voice Choir to entertain us and we opened the Christmas season with
200 of our members.
Saturday Coffee Mornings
These are monthly, and are held at the Chepstow Club. These have been very
successful and regularly attract around 40 members.
Activity Groups
Seventy-nine educational and leisure activity groups meet regularly to explore
their area of interest: intellectual, physical, or creative, for the benefit of our
members. These groups also offer trips to the theatre, various historic and
artistic venues and walking trips of between one day and one week. These are
now attracting maximum numbers. Indeed, the trip to Oxford was so popular
that our AwayDays group ran two coaches.
Apart from some start up grants and help with purchasing capital equipment, all
groups are self-funding.

Communication with Members
We keep members fully informed of all our activities by sending out information
emails and maintaining a web site for those of our members who are ‘on-line’
(currently 95%). We continue to develop our website. It offers an attractive and
easily navigated layout, with many new features including the ability to join
online. We publish a monthly Magazine which is available on our web site as a
flipbook. 300 printed copies are available at Monthly Meetings, Coffee
Mornings, and at Chepstow Library and other community centres.

Public Benefit

Our charity is welcoming and inclusive to anybody within the criteria set out in our constitution. There are no qualifications needed and we endeavour to keep the membership fee as low as possible and provide our core facilities, the

Tuesday Live monthly meeting, the monthly Magazine, and the Third Age Trust magazine (if requested), free to members. The u3a Zoom is available for groups to use free of charge.

The activity groups are made up of our members. Knowledge is exchanged as a process of learning, and groups are particularly conducive to forming friendships, which is part of our objectives.

We take inclusivity and diversity very seriously, and involve all of our Group Leaders to ensure that we are a welcoming, inclusive organisation.

The trustees have ensured that everything our charity has done has helped (or is intended to help) to achieve the purposes for which it is set up, and to no other purpose .

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

Grants

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

Grants are given to existing groups towards purchasing equipment. Grants are given to new groups to help them to ‘start-up’.

Volunteers

All Activity Groups, administration, and support activities are run by volunteers from the overall membership. For example:

Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

Membership : We successfully navigated the Covid years, and membership has steadily grown and now stands at 1137. Membership can now be paid online, by credit/debit card, and still by cash or cheque, although these methods are now a significant minority.

Website : The decision to invest in a new website, which was launched in September 2022, has proved to be a good investment. The website has been very well received and attracts visitors every month. The website is continually updated and improved. We now have the facility to join online, which has proved to be very popular. We have concerns that the hosting and development of the website is in the hands of one individual, so are currently looking to transfer it to the u3a Siteworks site, taking advantage of the security, support and back of the u3a team.

Magazine : We have maintained members’ involvement sending in articles and pictures which began during Covid, which has proved to be very popular. The magazine now prints 300 copies per month and is again distributed at our monthly meeting, coffee morning, at the library and other community hubs. The magazine can also be read via flipbooks on our website. This has proved to be very popular, and visits to the magazine page on the website are growing. Groups : Some groups have been lost this year, but most have grown, and many are at full capacity. We have added 11 new groups this year, supported by our Group Support team. We have consulted with the Group Leaders to ensure that the committee are meeting their needs, and produced a five point plan to move forward. Social Events : In addition to our monthly Tuesday Live meetings and coffee mornings, we held a summer picnic by the Bandstand where our performance groups entertained us as we enjoyed a glass of Pimm’s. In April we again held a concert which was a great success with well over 100 attending. In October our wine Appreciation groups hosted a very successful wine tasting evening in Mencap’s beautiful Board School. For our Christmas party we were entertained by the Chepstow Singing Club whilst enjoying a glass of wine and Christmas cakes. 190 members came and it was a great success. The u3a Family : We have been proactive in maintaining activity within the South Wales Network of u3as, via our Zoom. We have also been active in national discussions about the future of the Third Age Trust and the creation of a Council. We continue to work within the national u3a network. We are also an active member of the Chair’s Forum where 400 u3as discuss issues, and share best practice. We continued as members of GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations) and became members of the Monmouthshire County Council Volunteer Organisations group. We are an MCC stakeholder.

Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

To keep between £3,000 and £4,000 in reserves or about 3 to 4 months of operational costs to meet any unforeseen expenditure that may occur.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

None

Further financial review details (Optional information)

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s)
Full name(s) Helen Kirkcaldy Derek Shottin
Position Chairman Secretary
Date 8thFebruary 2026 8thFebruary 2026

CHEPSTOW U3A CHARITY # 702771 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS For the period: 1st JANUARY 2025 to 31st DECEMBER 2025

SECTION A : RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS

A1 : RECEIPTS
2025
2024
£
£
Group Activities
82,271
62,156
Membership Subscriptions
13,640
12,815
Gift Aid
2,223
1,971
Grants
0
0
Marketing
0
0
Bookstall
0
0
Coffee Morning
100
70
Donations
4
70
Diaries
0
59
Walking Week
0
0
Open Day
0
0
Interest
0
0
Administration
16
0
Social Activities
486
997
Summer and Christmas Parties
24
0
Monthly Meetings
0
174
Third Age Matters
0
0
Sub Total
98,764
78,312
A2 : ASSET AND INVESTMENT SALES
0
0
TOTAL RECEIPTS
98,764
78,312
A3 : PAYMENTS
Group Activities
77,995
63,143
Admin
90
162
Beacon System Subscription
1,102
1053
CLA License
69
132
Coffee Mornings
0
70
Convenor's Meetings
764
799
Diaries
0
39
Donations
0
0
Grants
0
0
Magazine Expenditure
2,692
2,385
Marketing Expenses
68
171
Membership 257 0
Membership Fee to TAT 4,132 3,932
Monthly Meetings Expenses 1,777 1,476
Open Day Expenses
Paypal commission 48 12
Speakers Expenses 300 200
Social Activities 335 1074
Xmas and Summer Parties 1,030 444
Third Age Matters 476 578
U3A Meetings (New Members etc) 0 0
Zoom Licence 156 156
Walking Weeks 0 0
Web Site 335 499
Sub Total 91,626 76,325

A4: ASSET AND INVESTMENT PURCHASES

Sum Up Credit Card Reader
New Laptop Computer
New Projector for laptop
TOTAL PAYMENTS 91,626 76,325
NET OF RECEIPTS/PAYMENTS
7,137
1,987
A5: TRANSFER BETWEEN FUNDS
0
0
A6: CASH FUNDS LAST YEAR END
28,569
28568.62
CASH FUNDS THIS YEAR END
35,706
28,570
SECTION B: STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT END OF PERIOD
B1 : CASH FUNDS
Treasurers Main Account(General)
2,429
943
Treasurers Activities Account(Designated)
18,798
14,469
Membership Subscriptions
Account(General)
14,406
12,988
Walking Week Account(Designated)
0
143
COIF Main Account
0
0
COIF Activities Account
0
0
Paypal
70
23
Petty Cash
3
3		 1,987
0
28568.62
28,570

28,569

TOTAL CASH FUNDS

35,706

B2 : OTHER MONETARY ASSETS

B3 : INVESTMENT ASSETS

B4 : ASSETS RETAINED FOR

CHARITY'S USE

Hi Fi System Lectern Extension Leads Laptop PC Portable Microphone System Amplifiers 2 Microphones 2 Loudspeakers Yamaha Sound Mixer CD Player x 3 Electronic Keyboard Projector for connection to PC Hot Water Urn U3A Banner 3 Notice Boards Projection Screen Bluetooth Speaker Trolley 2 Flip Charts A1 SilverSnap Frame A Board 2 Speakers Large Teapot Coffee Flask Electronic DrumMachine Portable Hard Drive Webcam External Sound Card Remote control "clicker" for laptop Behringer Portable PA system PK110A Mixer Behringer Xenyx 802 3 Behringer XM1800S Microphones Microphone Stand Microphone Stand Tray 5M 6-way Mains Lead 10M Mains Lead USB Hub Ground Loop Isolators Miscellaneous Cables Awaydays Labels and Lanyards Badminton Equipment Bridge Equipment Dance Hats, Skirts and Canes

Table Tennis Tables x 4 Sheet Music - Various Sum Up Credit Card Reader x 2 Pickleball Equipment

Amount
B5: LIABILITIES Fund Fund
Due
Outstanding Rent Activities
Outstanding Credit Card Invoice Activities
Group Expenses Activities
CLA Licence Main
SIGNATURE OF TRUSTEE:
NAME OF TRUSTEE ROBERT DAVIES
POSITION TREASURER

DATE OF APPROVAL

15th January 2026

toy! CHARITY COMMISSION | Independent examiner's report on the iy) FOR ENGLAND AND WALES accounts

Section A

Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/

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On accounts for the year ; 31 DECEMBER 2025 Charity no | 702771
ended {if any)
| report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (“the Trust’) for the year ended :
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Responsibilities and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act’).

| 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, | have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Independent [The-sherity-s-gross-income exceeded £250,000-end--am qualified to examiner's statement tfdertake-the-examinationby being-a-quatified member offinsert- name of applicableisted-bedy}l,Delete [1 not applicable.

| have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (etherthanthat disclased_helow *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

| 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 proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

IER

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Relevant professional — —
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1 Oct 2018
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