BALQUHIDDER, LOCHEARNHEAD AND STRATHYRE COMMUNITY TRUST (A SCOTTISH CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION) ANNUAL REPORT & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 2024
## Contents
STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT ..................................................... 3 Governing Document ................................................................................ 3 OBJECTS & ACTIVITIES ................................................................................. 3 ACHIEVEMENTS & PERFORMANCE ..................................................................... 4 Membership ........................................................................................... 4 Governance ........................................................................................... 4 FINANCIAL REVIEW ..................................................................................... 4 Overview .............................................................................................. 4 Reserves Policy ....................................................................................... 4 FUTURE PLANS .......................................................................................... 5 APPROVAL ............................................................................................... 5 Independent Examiner’s Report ...................................................................... 6 Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre Community Trust, SC037831 ........................................................... 6 Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner .......................................... 6 Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement ..................................................... 6 Independent Examiner's Statement ............................................................... 6 APPROVAL ............................................................................................. 6 STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ......................................................... 7 STATEMENT OF BALANCES ............................................................................. 8 Notes to the Financial Statements ................................................................... 9
1
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Charity Name Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre Community Trust
Charity Number SC037831
Principal Address
Website Address
Current Trustees
Other Trustees who served during the year
Bankers Bank of Scotland
Independent Examiner
**----- End of picture text -----**
2
## STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
## Governing Document
Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre Community Trust is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) governed by it constitution effective from 24th February 2021 following a successful conversion from a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee.
## **Appointment of Trustees**
The Board of Trustees comprises:
- A Chair, Treasurer and Secretary
- Up to a further four trustees who are elected by the Members
- A trustee who is a representative from the BLS Community Council
- Up to two additional trustees co-opted by the existing trustees
All trustees retire at the AGM but are eligible for re-election.
The governing document provides for a minimum of three and a maximum of nine trustees.
## **Organisational Structure**
The Board, which is responsible for the overall governance and management of the charity, delegate a portion of the day-to-day management to the part time development officer.
## **Risk Assessment**
The trustees regularly review the risks, including the health and safety of its volunteers, to which the charity is exposed. They do not believe there are any substantial risks beyond the liabilities disclosed on the Statement of Balances. The trustees have suitable insurance, policies and procedures in place including safeguarding to mitigate this risk.
## OBJECTS & ACTIVITIES
The charity is formed to:
- Benefit the Communities of Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre to secure the sustainable development within the area now and for the future.
- Preserve, restore and improve the environment through the provision, maintenance and development of public spaces and amenities as part of protection and sustainable development of Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage.
- Improve the recreation and leisure opportunities for the community and general public to increase social interaction and promote awareness of local cultural and natural assets.
- To advance and promote community development through working with the communities and partner organisations to deliver community place plans and to implement community projects and improvements identified within these plans.
3
## ACHIEVEMENTS & PERFORMANCE
## Membership
We actively engage with the community and our membership through The Villager, the local monthly magazine, our new website, and our Facebook page. We are now using our local village WhatsApp groups to directly contact our communities when needs be. We actively encourage as many people as possible to join the Trust as either members or Trustees. We currently have **110** members.
## Governance
We held our AGM on June 5th, 2024 in person in Lochearnhead Village Hall. The following people were re-elected to the Board:
were subsequently co-opted by the Trustees. We
would like to thank all who attended the AGM.
This is the treasurers report that wrote prior to resigning this year (2024) due to ill health. Unfortunately, due to continued stay in hospital, we have not been able to gain any further information to add to this report.
This provides a summary for the 2022-23 year – so ending March 2023. Therefore, the report I am about to give covers this period, not the 2023-24 year.
Our income for 2022-23 was £50,101 and comprised £28,824 in grants from the Scottish Land Fund, Stirling Council, Awards for All and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park; £10,456 income from the village hall and the festival, and £6,253 through fundraising via the Christmas Party and the Wee Swally bar.
Our outgoings for the same period were £66,378. This included refurbishment works on Strathyre Village Hall, Broch Field works and maintenance, the Strathyre Festival and a lesser amount on Development Officer fees.
This meant a deficit of £16,277. Much of this relates to spending grants that had been secured in the previous financial year and is thus a balancing of our accounts. By the end of March 2023 our bank balance was £16,588, of which around £15,932 is restricted for specific projects and activities.
## FINANCIAL REVIEW
## Overview
The income for the year 2023-24 was **£67,962** comprising grant funding, donations, and local fundraising, as well as income from the Festival and village hall hire. Our total expenditure was **£45,206** , the majority of which was spent on the Strathyre Festival, the Broch Field developments and maintenance, and Professional fees in respect of the village hall improvementsThe remaining money was spent on small scale maintenance, insurance and general overheads.
## Reserves Policy
The Trustees believe it should hold around £10,000 in reserves to meet its commitments should the charity have to dissolve for any reason. The unrestricted reserves of the Community Trust at the end of the year were £15253, although these funds were all designated for specific projects and the unrestricted “General Fund” was overdrawn at - £5410, well below the intended target. The Trust must look to better manage their income
4
and spread funds to increase their reserves and assist them in their work to benefit the local communities. The Trustees will need to review the designated funds and decide how best to reallocate the money to ensure that past and future overhead expenses can be covered.
## FUTURE PLANS
This year we are holding a Strathyre Fun Day instead of a Festival. We agreed to bring the event together in one place and increase the vendor and workshop offer. The Board also decided to hold a two day Festival instead of three, to ensure that it was more sustainable financially.
We are continuing to fundraise through our Wee Swally Community Bar Nights and running the bar at Solas Festival, for the village hall refurbishments. We aim to secure match funding to renovate our gable end and create a public, accessible toilet and wet room. We will also undertake smaller works, such as installing broadband. Ensuring the longevity of the hall and make it more accessible to disabled and less-able visitors and users.
We plan to continue our popular annual events including the Christmas and Spring Markets, our Christmas and Hogmanay Parties, and Ladies Lunch and MacMillan Coffee Mornings. We are always open to new ideas and events. A small working group has been set up in Balquhidder to take forward the potential Community Asset Transfer of Gartnafuaran Woods.
## APPROVAL
This report was approved by the trustees on 23/12/2024 and signed on their behalf by:
Trustee
5
## INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre Community Trust, SC037831
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2024 which are set out on pages 7 to 14.
## Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner
The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 ("the 2005 Act") and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) ("the 2006 Regulations"). The trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation (10)(1)(d) of the 2006 Regulations does not apply.
It is my responsibility to examine the accounts under section (44)(1)(c) of the 2005 Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement
My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 2006 Regulations. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeks explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
## Independent Examiner's Statement
In connection with my examination, no matter came to my attention:-
1. Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect, the requirements
2. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and
- Regulation 4 of the 2006 Regulations, and
3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Regulations
4. have not been met, or
5. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
## APPROVAL
These End of Year Accounts and Annual Report was approved by , Independent Examiner on 23[rd] December 2024
6
## STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE
|**_Receipts and Payments_**|||
|---|---|---|
|**Receipts**
Donations
Legacies
Grants
Income
Fund Raising
Hall Hire
Investment Income
Sale of Fixed Assets
Sale of Investments
**Payments**
Fund Raising Costs
Charitable Activities
Governance Costs
Accounts Preparation
Independent Examination
Purchase of Fixed Assets
Purchase of Investments
**Net movement in funds**
Transfers between funds
**Surplus/(Deficit) for year**|Note|Unrestricted
Restricted
**Total**
Total
Funds
Funds
**2024**
2023|
||1
2
3
4
5,6,7
8|£
£
**£**
£
4,179
612
**4,791**
4,568
-
-
**-**
-
-
36,442
**36,442**
28,824
25,569
-
**25,569**
10,456
160
1,000
**1,160**
6,253
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
29,908
38,054
**67,962**
50,101
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-|
|||29,908
38,054
**67,962**
50,101|
|||-
-
**-**
-
24,397
20,659
**45,056**
66,028
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-
150
-
**150**
350
24,547
20,659
**45,206**
66,378
-
-
**-**
-
-
-
**-**
-|
|||24,547
20,659
**45,206**
66,378|
|||5,361
17,395
22,757
(16,277)
1,200
(1,200)
**-**
-|
|||6,561
16,195
22,757
(16,277)|
7
## STATEMENT OF BALANCES
|**_Statement of Balances_**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Unrestricted|Restricted|**Total**|Total|
||Note|Funds|Funds|**2024**|2023|
|**Funds Reconciliation**||£|£|**£**|£|
|Balance as at 01 April 2023||8,691|7,897|**16,588**|32,865|
|Surplus/(Deficit) for year||6,561|16,195|**22,757**|(16,277)|
|Balance as at 31 March 2024||15,253|24,092|**39,345**|16,589|
|**Bank & Cash Balances**||||||
|Cash at Bank||15,253|24,092|**39,345**|16,306|
|Soldo Account||||**-**|282|
|||15,253|24,092|**39,345**|16,588|
|**Other Assets**||||||
|Strathyre Village Hall||140,000||**140,000**|140,000|
|Broch Field Strathyre||25,000||**25,000**|-|
|Land - Fields and tennis court||16,500||**16,500**|16,500|
|Storage Containers||3,790||**3,790**|850|
|Land management machinery||2,504||**2,504**|-|
|Other equipment||5,708||**5,708**|3,285|
|||-|-|**-**|-|
|||193,502|-|**193,502**|160,635|
|**Liabilities**||||||
|Independent Examination||150|-|**150**|350|
|||-|-|**-**|-|
|||150|-|**150**|350|
The notes on pages 9 to 14 form an integral part of these accounts.
These accounts were approved by the trustees on 23/12/24 and signed on their behalf by:
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
## **1. Basis of Preparation**
These accounts have been prepared on the receipts & payments basis in accordance with:
- a) The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005
- b) The Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended)
- There have been no changes to the basis of preparation or to the previous year’s accounts.
## **2. Fund Accounting**
- a) Unrestricted funds are those that can be expended at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the objects of the charity.
- b) Designated funds are unrestricted funds that the trustees have set aside for particular purposes. The designation is administrative only and does not restrict the trustees’ ability to apply the funds.
- c) Restricted funds are those that may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor, or when funds are raised for specific purposes.
- d) The purposes of the funds are shown in Note 10.
**3. Taxation**
- a) The charity is not liable to corporation tax or capital gains tax on its charitable activities.
- b) The charity is not registered for VAT thus all costs are shown inclusive of VAT charged.
**4. Transactions with trustees and related parties**
- a) No remuneration was paid to trustees or any persons connected with them during the year or the previous year.
- b) No expenses were reimbursed to the trustees during the year or the previous year.
9
|**Notes to the Accounts**||
|---|---|
|||
|**_1. Donations_**||
|Car Park Donations
Hall Donations
General Donations|Unrestricted
Restricted
Endowment
**Total**
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
**2024**
2023|
||£
£
£
**£**
£
1,944
**1,944**
1799.00
345
612
**957**
1153.00
1,890
**1,890**
1616.00|
||4,179
612
-
**4,791**
4568.00|
|||
|||
|**_2. Grants_**||
|Visit Scotland
National Lottery
Scottish Land Fund
Stop Climate Chaos
Stirling Council
Robertson Trust
Kew Gardens
Awards for All
Loch Lomond and Trossachs NPA|Unrestricted
Restricted
Endowment
**Total**
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
**2024**
2023|
||£
£
£
**£**
£
15,950
10,000
2,900
**2,900**
4978.00
**-**
689.00
7,592
**7,592**
3138.00
**-**
1500.00
**-**
500.00
**-**
5000.00
**-**
13019.00|
||-
36,442
-
**10,492**
28824.00|
|||
|**_3. Income_**||
|Hall Income
Festival Income|Unrestricted
Restricted
Endowment
**Total**
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
**2024**
2023|
||£
£
£
**£**
£
12,743
**12,743**
1048.00
12,826
**12,826**
9408.00|
||25,569
-
-
**25,569**
10456.00|
10
|**_4. Fundraising_**||
|---|---|
|Hogmany Fundraising
Hall Fundraisers|Unrestricted
Restricted
Endowment
**Total**
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
**2024**
2023|
||£
£
£
**£**
£
1,000
**1,000**
1296.00
160
**160**
4957.00|
||160
1,000
-
**1,160**
6253.00|
|**_5. Charitable Activities_**||
|---|---|
|Advertising and Publicity
Professional Fees
Printing, Postage, Stationary
Salary, NI, Tax, Pensions
Licences/Subscriptions
Repairs and Maintenance
Sundries
Event Costs
Capital Expenditure
Hall Running Costs (note 6)
Broch Field Electricity
Insurance
General Donations|Unrestricted
Restricted
Endowment
**Total**
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
**2024**
2023|
||£
£
£
**£**
£
**-**
160.00
2,007
8,258
**10,265**
23085.00
**-**
41.00
**-**
10083.00
187
365
**552**
1077.00
576
3,071
**3,647**
15788.00
532
**532**
4831.00
8,436
8,565
**17,001**
4831.00
399
**399**
6128.00
9,684
**9,684**
2163.00
613
**613**
337.00
2,063
**2,063**
2135.00
300
**300**
200.00|
||24,397
20,659
-
**45,056**
70859.00|
|||
|**_6. Hall Running Costs_**||
|Heat and Light
Repairs and Maintenance
Event Costs
Internet Costs|Unrestricted
Restricted
Endowment
**Total**
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
**2024**
2023|
||£
£
£
**£**
£
2,783
**2,783**
1936.00
80
**80**
163.00
6,493
**6,493**
64.00
328
**328**|
||9,684
-
-
**9,684**
2163.00|
11
|**_7. Strathyre Festival_**||
|---|---|
|**Income**
Grants
Donations
Ticket Sales
**Expenditure**
Artist Costs
Catering / Sundries
Licences
Hall and Electricity
Charitable Donations
Surplus / Deficit|Unrestricted
Restricted
Endowment
**Total**
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
**2024**
2023|
||£
£
£
**£**
£
15,950
**15,950**
70
**70**
12,826
**12,826**
12,896
15,950
-
**28,846**
3,890
4,703
**8,592**
4,546
3,366
**7,912**
538
**538**
100
1,200
**1,300**
300
**300**
8,836
9,806
-
18,642
**-**|
||**4,060**
**6,144**
**-**
**10,204**|
12
||**_8. Movement in funds_**||
|---|---|---|
||Unrestricted Funds
General Fund
Designated Funds
Strathyre Village Hall
Broch Field
Strathyre Play Park
Fireworks
Christmas Market
Recreation Ground
Strathyre Christmas Party
Strathyre Festival
Community Place Plan
Development Officer
Defibrillator Fund|As at
**As at**
31/03/2023
Receipts
Payments
Transfers
**31/03/2024**|
|||£
£
£
£
**£**
(1,798)
1,200
(4,407)
(405)
**-5410**|
|||7,213
13,249
(9,584)
1,200
**12079**
(995)
1,944
(1,189)
-
**-239**
400
-
-
-
**400**
1,073
-
**1073**
167
25
-
**192**
(186)
-
-
**-186**
495
550
(532)
-
**513**
2,700
12,896
(8,836)
**6760**
(41)
41
**0**
(364)
364
**0**
27
44
-
**71**|
||Total Designated and Unrestricted|8,691
29,908
(24,547)
1,200
**15253**|
||Restricted Funds
Strathyre Village Hall
Broch Field Project
Strathyre Festival
Recreation Ground
Winter Warmer Hub
Hogmanay Fund
Total Restricted
Total Funds|16,704
(5,342)
-
**11362**
6,322
2,900
(5,816)
-
**3406**
-
15,950
(8,605)
(1,200)
**6145**
-
1,500
**1500**
500
-
-
**500**
1,075
1,000
(896)
-
**1179**|
|||7,897
38,054
(20,659)
(1,200)
**24092**|
|||16,588
67,962
(45,206)
-
**39345**|
13
## _**8. Purpose of Funds**_
Unrestricted funds that can be expended at the discretion of the **General Fund** trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity.
Income and expenditure for the day-to-day maintenance and **Broch Field Management** management of the Broch Field Funds received and expenditure towards the developments on the Broch **Broch Field Project** Field Fund received and expended towards the upkeep of the Tennis court **Recreation Ground** and Recreation Ground
Monies received and expended towards the costs of running a Christmas **Christmas Market Fund** market. **Strathyre Christmas Party Fund** Monies received and expended towards the costs of presents and party Monies received in grants and donations towards the upkeep and **Strathyre Village Hall Fund** renovation of Strathyre Village Hall **Playpark Fund** Monies received towards upgrading the local playpark Monies held for the Strathyre Community Fesitival, paying towards **Strathyre Festival** activities, acts, the bar and general running costs. Funds held for the maintenance of the defibrillator at Strathyre Village **Defibrillator Fund** Shop. Funds held to host winter warmer hub sessions for our older and more **Winter Warmer Hub** vulnerable residents to combat the cost of living crisis. **Strathyre Festival Fund** Funds held to facilitate the running of the annual Strathyre Festival Monies held to host our community’s annual Hogmanay Party at **Hogmanay Fund** Strathyre Village Hall.
## **9. Transfers between Funds**
A transfer of £1200 was made from the Restricted Strathyre Festival Fund to the Strathyre Village Hall fund to cover the costs of providing hall facilities during the Festiveal
A transfer of £405 was made from the General Fund to the Community Place Plan Fund (£41) and Development Office Fund (£364) to cover small historic shortfalls in these funds, which are no longer in use.
14