2023-08-31-accounts - Comeytrowe Community Hall

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ANNUAL REPORT

COMEYTROWE COMMUNITY HALL

Registered Charity 900119

REPORT PERIOD: 1/09/22 – 31/8/23.

Trustees acting during the period.

JEAN ALGROVE JANYNE CLARK VAL GILFILLAN COLIN HOGG MARIAN HUDD RICGARD HUNT ANE MALMIN PENELOPE PARHAM JULIET WILLEY EMMA WILLMONT KEITH WOODMASON EILEEN ZOERS

The location of the property is Pitts Close, Comeytrowe, Taunton TA1 4TY but the business is conducted through the address of the Chair at 12 Stone Close, Taunton, TA1 4YG.

GOVERNING DOCUMENT/PURPOSE OF THE CHARITY

The charity’s operation is governed by the terms of the Trust Deed dated 1[st] July 1989 between the Comeytrowe Parish Council and the trustees of the charity. Due to boundary changes Comeytrowe Parish Council was dissolved and the Trust Deed was transferred to the newly formed Taunton Town Council in June 2023

The property is leased from Taunton Town Council for 99years for a ground rent of £1 per annum and must be used as a Community Hall for the resident of Comeytrowe without distinction of political, religious or any other opinions with the purpose of improving their conditions of life.

All members of the management committee are charity trustees of the charity. They shall all be competent to act as such and shall sign a declaration of acceptance of trusteeship at the commencement of their tenure.

The committee consists of

10 elected members who will be elected at the AGM although casual vacancies may be filled by the committee during the year
A variable number of representative members who are “user Res” appointed by organisations who use the hall or who have a specific in the area. They are chosen by their own organisations and their names notified to the secretary by the organisations they represent.

There may be in addition three co-opted members appointed by the committee at a meeting.

All members of the committee will retire at the end of the AGM but may be re-elected or reappointed.

The 13 representative members named in the original trust deed were drawn from regular users of the hall or were organisations with an interest in local community objectivates They were Comeytrowe Lunch Club, Comeytrowe Parish Council, Comeytrowe Short Mat Bowls Club, Comeytrow Under Fives, Dave’s Bingo Comeytrowe, Somerset Social Services Home Care, Taunton Deans Borough Councill, Comeytrow Shotokan Karate Club, St Michaels Church Comeytrowe, Friends of Bishop Henderson School, Taunton Sugar Craft Guild, Trull Dancing School, Wendy’s Aerobics Comeytrowe. Some of the organisations have either folded or relocated elsewhere and no longer have an interest in the facility.

If any organisation not currently represented has an interest in local community matters or is a regular and wishes to be represented on the committee, they must make application to the committee who may approve the appointment by a vote of a majority if 2/3 of all the committee at the time. A minute of the decision must then be kept with the working papers od the committee.

No member of the committee shall receive any remuneration nor have an interest in any work paid for by the charity.

The trustees must maintain the hall and do everything to keep it in good repair including arranging insurance against fire, theft and public liability. Any income shall be applied for the purposes of the

charity including extending or improving the premises. Any surplus monies not rewired as a working balance shall be invested appropriately.

There must be art least 2two ordinary committee meeting a year, the quorum to be not less than 1/3 of the total number of committee members at that time. Every item shall be decided by majority of members present and voting with the Chair having a casting vote in the event of equality.

A special meeting may be call by the Chair or any two members giving 7 day’s clear notice to all members of the matter to be discussed.

The AGM is held in November annually when accounts and reports for the preceding year are presented. All Comeytrowe residents are entitled to attend and vote for elected members. The date of the meeting will be notified by a Public Notice on the Community Hall property at least 14 day’s before the fixed date.

STRUCTURE AND GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Management committee meetings are normally held by monthly.

Officers are appointed at the at the first committee meting following the AGM. The positions are Chair, Treasurer, Secretary Minute Secretary, Bookings Secretary and Health & Safety Officers.

All Trustees are volunteers and are issued with an induction pack when they become a Trustees to help them understand their responsibilities. Guidance issued by the Charity Commission and other responsible bodies are forwarded to Trustees as appropriate for perusal and discussed at meetings including guidance relating to public benefit. There are also some volunteers, mainly concerned with maintenance, who prefer not to be trustees. These two groups together are the most important resource of the hall since there are no paid staff. Routine cleaning is caried out by a Contract Cleaner. All contracts with individuals and companies are awarded by joint decision of the committee.

The hall is GDPR compliant. Privacy Policies are posted on the Policies are posted on the website and notice boards. Also posted for hirer’s information are copies of the Premises Licence and Membership Certificate to Community Council of Somerset.

The committer holds a comprehensive building and contents insurance through Aviva. Sums assures are revised annually to ensure that adequate and professional valuations are undertaken every few years. The next of these will be undertaken within the next reporting year.

As part of the Health & Safety briefing Asbestos survey was conducted. The resulting Asbestos Register and log is available to contractors in both halls. Formal checks for gas safety, portable electrical appliance and fire firefighting equipment are conducted and certified by professional contractors annually. Checks on fire escape safety, emergency lighting and water safety are conducted by volunteers monthly and outcomes monitored completion of tick lists in both halls.

There is a Hiring Policy in place of which full copies and a decision log is available in both halls. This sets out clearly how hiring charges are determined and when changes in policy are made. Use of the halls is subject to a Hiring Agreement signed by both parties to the hire. This sets out the conditions of hire and identified the responsibilities of each party to the agreement. The Hiring Policy is formally reviewed and approved by the committee annually followed by a report submitted by a Hiring &

Terms of Conditions Sub-committee. The committee believes that communication with the users is paramount. Regular hirers are sent quarterly statements of their accounts together with an update letter about ongoing issues. Input is sort where the hires opinion would be useful.

The hall maintains an email (Comeytrowecommunityhal@gmail.com) , a website (www.comeytrowecommucityhall.org) and a Facebook page. It is also a frequent contributor to the “Galmington & Comeytrowe News”.

During the previous reporting period it was reported that the management committee investigated and evaluated the possibility of changing the charity’s status to CIO. It was decided not to proceed. That situation remains unchanged, but it remains something to be reviewed.

LINKS BETWEEN LEGAL PURPOSES/AIMS AND OBJECTIVES AND UNDERTAKINGS TO ACHIEVE THESE.

There are two halls independently accessed and usable within the premises. The Main Hall is the larger facility while the Walker Room is designed for smaller gatherings

During the school terms the principal hirer is the Comeytrowe Under Fives which operates a preschool for more that 70 children aged from 2 – 5 years from 08:30 to 16:30 on Mondays to Fridays. The agreement is not a normal hirers agreement but is an Occupational Licence more suitable for a main hirer educational setting to fulfil their OFSTED requirements and provide better security of tenure. The Comeytrowe Under Fived have been rated “Good” by OFSTED.

Other main hall hirers include Art Group, Adult Table Tennis, Yoga Classes, Blood Donor Sessions, Local Authority User Groups, Commercial Bird and Vinyl Record Sales.

The smaller Walker Room is used by four different Art Groups, Children’s Sensory & Educational Sessions, Religious Groups and Bingo for Disabled Adults.

Both halls are available for on a casual basis to private hirers for children’s and family parties, wedding receptions, markets, quizzes, committee meetings for other local organisations and other social functions. Hiring rates are arranged so that charges for casual and commercial hirers subsidise those of regular hirers.

BENEFTS TO BENIFICIARIES & SOCIETY AND IMPACT OF THE CHARITY’S ACTIVITY.

The hall establishes a meeting place to facilitate activities that benefit that local community. The provision a preschool enables parents to work and young children to engage in early years education; various children’s groups encourage physical fitness and intellectual development in the young; adult exercise are aimed at keeping those in mid-life fit: seated exercise classes; art groups and machine knitters tend to cater for the fit elderly: other groups are aimed at the less able and more vulnerable

The impact is that having these facilities means that residents do not need to travel outside the area to access them. Such facilities are therefore available to all since not everyone is able to travel.

SUCCESS DURING THE PERIOD.

The judicious management and determination of trustees the effects of the current adverse economical situation have been mitigated and financial viability maintained.
The implementation of the Hallmaster booking system has made booking simpler has improved the efficiency of bookings.
Low-cost meeting venue for those who come live locally from other countries at the local hospital in an expanding community which is still increasing.
New trustees have joined the charity relieving some of the workload from existing trustee.
The purchase of improved seating for those who are more physically challenged
Lease transferred to Taunton Town Council

FAILURES DURING THE PERIOD

Unauthorised parking remains an issue.

FUTURE PLANS AND CHALLENGES

Eradicate the unauthorised parking issue.
Further improve the quality of seating.
Increase to electrical sockets in the main hall

FINACIAL REVIEW

The principal source of funding remains the revenue from hire charges.

A set of accounts and the Reviewers Certificate for the period are attached at the end if this document. The halls operate two bank accounts.

The first is a current account with Lloyds Bank. The balance in this at the end of the reporting period was £30699.68

The second is a savings account with Skipton Building Society which yields a variable interest rate. The primary purpose of this account is to provide reserve funds which would allow the hall to continue servicing debts over a period of six months of closure due to an unforeseen emergency. The second purpose of the Skipton Account is to provide vehicle of savings for forthcoming large projects. To this end, monies accumulated in the Lloyds Bank account will periodically be transferred to the Skipton account if not needed for the foreseeable running costs and maintenance. The balance of the Skipton account at the end of the reporting period was £ 22836.45

There are four trustees signatories to both accounts and two of these are required for all outgoing payments.

Re8. Chatlty . 119 Comeytrowe Community Hall 31st 2022 to 31st Awdust 2023 Thts Year Last Year Recefpts [In] £33,742.23 £442.05 £24.P)8. £10. £1(M).(K) C96.19 Donatfjons Misc. Wednexiay Welcome Grants - General COVID Grants Bank interest É37.81 £3.049.(X) £42.30 £439.44 £o.rx) £o.c Totals £34,661.53 £28,095.49 Payments [Out] Refund of Deposits Equipment Rèplacements Prni Costs Wednesday Welcome MTSC. Major Refurt¢isEMwit COVID pfeonal Fees I InsFectfons Ingjrances Hall CleanTng and Ground5 MaintenarKe utility Bills £5.430.16 £1.020.O) £8.592.91 r2.910.80 C3.425.17 E30.LK) £1.( £29.49 £5,293.20 £669.32 £1.119.95 £7.055.60 £3.584.38 £1.231. E8.052.40 £4.423.38 Tota £34.on.44 £18.796.22 rplu5 or IdefTatl for the year £588.09 £9.299.27 Balances brought fOrdr Lloyd5 h£count Skipton Accwnt £30.551.03 £22,397.01 £30. i £52.978.04 £21.294.16 2,354.71 EO.tM) £43.648.87 Balan in hand at year.eThl Uoydskcount Skipton Accwnt Cash Float. £30,699.68 £22,836.45 £30,551.03 £22.397.01 £30.00 £53.536.13 Assets and Liabilities: In addttity) to cash balarw Charity has assets, to Val of £8,(1.( and there are FK> assets or liabflities. Prepared by: CIAin SiatUre & Date: 11112023 Rewewer's Certificate: The abfft state[rts vrith tl*b record5 and CherS of Cthwtrowe Q>mmunlty Hall for finaKial Jtar end 31st 2023 lieviewed ty: SIrn Dawtson SiatUre & Date: 1311112023 11 Atyets.. fixtures fittirq5 carp&tCthtts Ifwt47DJte. ¥4iarKe4 staRe. PAg1on. etck f3n,Ixi).(L)