Exwick Parish Hall - Treasurers Report for 2023
Summary – for the period ending 31[st] December 2023
Income for the Hall in 2023 was £42,131.43. This compared to just over £35k in the year before.
Expenditure amounted to £31,667.31. This compared to just over £27k last year.
This gave a surplus for the year of £10,464.
The total amount of money in the two bank accounts operated by the Hall (NatWest – reserve & current account and the CAF account) was £121,149.43. Our financial situation can thus be fairly described as healthy.
The more detailed accounts are attached as a separate document. These have been checked by our independent auditor, Marie Langdon, a Chartered Accountant and member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. She had no concerns other than several procedural points. No actual inaccuracies were found, and she stated in her report to the management committee that “ Having reviewed your spreadsheet, in conjunction with the paperwork that you passed to me, I can confirm that this provides an accurate reflection of the Exwick Parish Hall’s (EPH) current financial position ”.
Main Events - Financial
Opening of CAF Bank Account
After a long period of trying, we finally managed to open an account with a bank that will let us work online, taking and making payments by BACS, as well has having some direct debits.
CAF Bank is owned by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). As an organisation, it specialises in working with charities with funds. CAF Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
The account is working well, with nearly everything transferred from the old NatWest account to the new CAF account. Practically, the account we have can be accessed by our Administrator/Book-keeper (see below), the Treasurer and Chair. There is a rigorous system for authorising payments out of the account. Initially this is a “double-knock” system, whereby one authorised person “sets up” the payment, and a second then authorises that payment. There is much entering of passwords, and then security codes received by mobile phone. The system seems robust.
Administrator/Book-keeper
As set out in the Treasurer’s report last year, Jill Clapp wished to step down at the end of 2024 from her role as Administrator/Book-keeper. For various reasons this had to be accelerated, and Mrs Sarah Dicker was approached at the end of last year and has now been fully appointed, taking over from Jill in March 2024.
Thanks and much appreciation are expressed to Jill for her work which has gone over and above the call of duty on many occasions.
The total paid to our Administrator/Book-keeper in the year ending 31 December 2023 was £4,500.
Services
We have fixed prices for gas and electricity until the middle of 2025.
Broadband will come to an end in 2024, in terms of a fixed price, and will be looked at then.
Rather surprisingly, the cost of some services has dropped slightly from the previous year;
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | £1,441.13 | £1,687.77 |
| Gas | £2,878.09 | £2,282.67 |
| Water | £1,150.24 | £1,679.40 |
| Broadband/Wifi/Internet | £293.26 | £597.45 |
| Totals | £7785.72 | £8269.29 |
It is difficult to account for this, other than as a reflection of the lower fixed rates that Jill managed to negotiate.
With increased use of the hall comes an increasing cost for cleaning, and this increased over the year;
| 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | £2,702.66 | £1,958.88 |
The cleaning contractor continues to do a good job and the costs seem reasonable.
Hiring Rates
General rates were increased in 2024, and are now;
| Main hall | £22/hr (one-off bookings) | £15/hr (regular bookings) |
|---|---|---|
| Jubilee Gardens | £40/session (one-off bookings) | £20/session (regular bookings) |
| Small rooms | £8.50/hr (one-off bookings) | £2/hr (as add-on to Main Hall) |
| Car parking | £50/month |
It will be seen that discounted rates are given for long-term/regular users of the hall.
Requests for “one-off” events are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Hirers of the Hall and Rooms
Exwick Community Church are still the biggest user of the hall, with full-time hire of the front office and small rooms, and regular use of the Main Hall, Jubilee Gardens and small rooms on Sundays in particular. They paid a total of £7,787, almost the same as the previous year.
Users of the car park are then the next biggest contributor, at a total income of £7,275, an appreciable increase on the year before (£5,340).
Thereafter, Innovations in Dementia hire the first storey office, giving an income of £3,000.
The Forest School (Exwick Ark) paid a total of £3,380.
Dance Classes were a good source of income, with the various classes held contributing a total of £3,641.
The hire of the hall for private parties continues to be another good source of income, with a total of £2,012.
Other users include Bingo, the Exeter Folk Orchestra, Exeter Quilters, Exeter Hindu Group, Exercise Therapy, the Polish School, Yoga, Pilates, Fit-Steps, Twirly Tots and more recently Scottish Country Dancing.
As such the hall and rooms are in good and varied usage. At times the hall is used by two groups simultaneously, but this can be challenging.
Insurances
A review of the insurances held by Exwick Parish Hall was held during the year, and the Sums Insured for the Building and Contents increased to a more realistic level. Naturally, this lead to an increase in premium from £937, to £1,224.
The figures in place are now considered to be accurate.
Redevelopment of the Hall and Site
The oldest part of the existing hall is now just over 100 years old, and it has been altered, adapted and extended on numerous occasions.
After many years of considering the future for the hall and site, in 2023 the decision was taken to employ an Architectural practice to draw up plans for a new building; this superseded the previous plans to extend the existing building still further.
Grainge Architects were appointed, and completed some of their work in the last financial year. The figures given above (total expenditure) thus include a payment to them (£8,904) and to Prism Surveys (£1,452). The latter was for a topographical survey of the site and street scene survey.
The Future
2024 will be a more challenging year in terms of finance, with expenditure anticipated to exceed income substantially, due the work involved in redeveloping the site. This will include payments to the Architects and various other consultants, and the planning application fee to Exeter City Council.
This was known and anticipated by the managing Committee; it will not come as a surprise.
Assuming planning permission is obtained by the summer of 2024, attention will then be needed to fundraising for the redevelopment of the site, anticipated to be around £2.5m. It is not an easy road that has been started, but one with huge potential and excitement, as Exwick Parish Hall ramps up for another century of serving the local and wider community in Exwick.
Colin Wooding – Treasurer - March 2024
Final Accounts
Exwick Parish Hall Financial Statement
January – December 2023
| Income | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | 2022 | 2022 | 2021 | 2021 | 2021 | 2020 | 2020 | Expenditure | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | 2022 | Different Headings | 2021 | 2020 | 2020 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bingo | £1,647.75 | £1,102.57 | £441.00 | £1,140.00 | Electricity | £1,441.13 | £1,687.77 | Electricity | £647.03 | £1,222.07 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dance Classes | £3,641.00 | £1,467.00 | £188.00 | £1,158.50 | Gas | £2,878.09 | £2,282.67 | Gas | £1,815.88 | £1,039.71 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Misc | £12,905.42 | £3,025.14 | £606.50 | £781.25 | Broadband/Wifi/Internet | £293.26 | £597.45 | Water | £1,725.00 | £1,479.11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Parties | £3,183.50 | £3,175.00 | £1,942.20 | £476.87 | Bookkeeping/Admin | £4,500.14 | £3,610.00 | Broadband/Wifi/Internet | £571.20 | £571.20 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Exeter FolkOrchestra | £815.75 | £488.25 | £299.25 | £0.00 | Water | £1,150.24 | £1,679.40 | Bingo | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Car Park | £7,275.00 | £5,340.00 | £7,274.00 | £5,973.89 | Exp/Admin/Post/printing | £156.96 | £18.37 | Books/Bookings | £1,577.27 | £147.05 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Store* | £900.00 | £450.00 | £600.00 | £600.00 | Misc | £21,991.60 | £1,920.25 | Misc | £50.00 | £164.54 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Funding | £0.00 | £2,667.00 | £9,850.00 | £10,000.00 | Renovations | £0.00 | £7,755.00 | Renovations | £1,842.83 | £13,757.31 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ExeterQuilters | £443.00 | £336.75 | £203.25 | £0.00 | Maintenance** | £2,822.62 | £2,119.00 | Maintenance | £2,783.38 | £1,392.90 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bank Interest | £6.37 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | Insurance | £1,223.75 | £937.47 | Insurance | £900.67 | £0.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ExwickComm.Church | £9,786.75 | £7,325.05 | £6,641.50 | £2,424.88 | Cleaning/Cleaners | £2,702.66 | £1,958.88 | Cleaning/Cleaners | £1,007.00 | £1,854.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Exeter Hindu Group | £531.25 | £361.50 | £36.75 | £0.00 | Bins &Rubbish | £179.31 | £158.85 | Bins &Rubbish | £154.84 | £90.96 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| YMCA | £198.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £185.25 | PRS &Licences | £456.30 | £596.30 | PRS &Licences | £386.30 | £585.18 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Forrest School Ex Ark | £3,380.00 | £2,535.00 | £1,935.00 | £0.00 | Honorarium | £700.00 | £0.00 | Honorarium | £1,065.00 | £0.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ExerciseTherapy | £0.00 | £661.50 | £168.00 | £114.00 | Refunds: Deposits/Overpaid | £1,171.25 | £1,900.00 | Refunds: Deposits/Overpaid | £950.00 | £200.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| PolishSchool | £0.00 | £1,139.38 | £0.00 | £812.25 | CommunityProjects | £0.00 | CommunityProjects | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Innovation in Dementia | £3,000.00 | £3,223.50 | £2,400.00 | £2,400.00 | £0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yoga | £801.14 | £632.67 | £249.32 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fit Steps | £585.00 | £378.00 | £73.50 | £171.00 | £0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ECA Youth/Community | £834.50 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pilates | £1,768.00 | £432.50 | £302.50 | £0.00 | £0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TwirlyTots | £429.00 | £325.50 | £231.00 | £216.10 | £0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reserve (interest) | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £12.06 | £0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| £0.00 | £0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Income | £52,131.43 | £35,066.31 | £33,441.77 | £26,466.05 | Total Expenses | £41,667.31 | £27,221.41 | £15,476.40 | £22,504.03 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Income | £52,131.43 | £35,066.31 | £33,441.77 | Reserve Account | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Less expenses | £41,667.31 | £27,221.41 | £15,476.40 | Bal Bfw | £13,698.10 | £13,668.35 | £13,666.98 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Difference | £10,464.12 | £7,844.90 | £17,965.37 | TransfersIn/Out | 0 | £0.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest | 165.56 | £29.75 | £1.16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BalCfwd | £13,863.66 | £13,698.10 | £13,668.14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balances at bank | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 31-Dec-22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bal BfwdReserve | £13,698.10 | £13,668.35 | £13,666.98 | Current Account | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bal Bfwd Current | £96,821.65 | £88,976.75 | £71,011.38 | Bal Bfwd | £96,821.65 | £88,976.75 | £71,011.38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| £110,519.75 | £102,645.10 | £84,678.36 | NetTransfersIn/Out | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BalCfwd | £96,821.65 | £88,976.75 | £71,011.38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PlusIncome | £52,131.43 | £35,066.31 | £33,441.77 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| £162,651.18 | £137,711.41 | £118,120.13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Less expenses | £41,667.31 | £27,221.41 | £15,476.40 | Balances at bank | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| £120,983.87 | £110,490.00 | £102,643.73 | 31-Dec-23 | 31 Dec22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NatwestReserveA/C | £13,863.66 | £13,698.10 | £13,668.35 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Natwest CurrentA/c | £102,089.99 | £96,821.65 | £88,976.75 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balat bank | £120,983.87 | £110,490.00 | £102,643.73 | TOTAL | £115,953.65 | £110,519.75 | £102,645.10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| PlusInterestReserve | 165.56 | £29.75 | £1.16 | CAF Bank Balance | £5,195.78 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total BalanceBank | £121,149.43 | £110,519.75 | £102,644.89 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL NW/CAF/RES | £121,149.43 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Difference | £0.00 | £0.21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| £0.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CAF Bank Balance | £5,195.78 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| **£900.00 ContraNon Bank Entry Page 1 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TOTAL NW/CAF/RES | £121,149.43 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Difference | £0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *£900.00 ContraNon Bank Entry |
Auditors report for Exwick Parish hall Accounts 2023
Having reviewed your spreadsheet, in conjunction with the paperwork that you passed to me, I can confirm that this provides an accurate reflection of the Exwick Parish Hall’s (EPH) current financial position.
However, I note that income and expenditure are both overstated by £10,000. This does not impact on the overall balances, as the overstatement relates to a funds transfer between the 2 accounts held by EPH. Funds transfers should be recorded separately in the accounts and not included in the income and expenditure figures.
Overall EPH has made a profit of almost £11k in 2023, which when added to the existing balance puts EPH in a good financial position at the start of 2024.
Although the accounts are generally clear and easy to follow, there is a high level of historic data on the final accounts. Unless specifically needed by the trustees, I would advise showing fewer years for comparison purposes, as this would be easier to read.
In accordance with charities legislation, EPH is advised to have a reserves policy in place. As I am not aware of the current policy, I cannot comment on how appropriate it is. It is recommended that this should be based on 3 months’ running costs. Based on the running costs for 2023, this would be about £10,500. Given that the current balances are significantly above this, I can see no reason for concern over the level of reserves.
For your records, I can confirm that I am a member of ACCA and my registration number is 2653901.
Best wishes
Marie
Marie J Langdon, March 24[th] 2024