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2025-03-31-accounts

Gairloch & District Times (SCIO) Scottish Charitable Incorporated Association Charity Number: SC041926

Trustees’ Annual Report &

Receipts & Payments Accounts

For the Year Ended 31 March 2025

Simple Figures Ltd 17 West Argyle Street Ullapool IV26 2TY

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SC041926

GAIRLOCH & DISTRICT TIMES (SCIO) TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT and RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS For the year ended 31 March 2025

CONTENTS PAGE
Legal and Administrative Information 3
Trustees’ Annual Report 4
Independent Examiner’s Report 5
Statement of Receipts & Payments 6
Statement of Balances 7
Notes to the Accounts 8

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SC041926

GAIRLOCH & DISTRICT TIMES (SCIO)

LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Charity Number: SC041926

Principal Office: Gairloch and District Times Gairloch Community Hall Achtercairn, Gairloch Ross-shire IV21 2BP

Bankers: Bank of Scotland Gairloch Ross-shire IV21 2BS

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GAIRLOCH & DISTRICT TIMES (SCIO)

SC041926

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES For the year ended 31 March 2025

Structure, Governance and Management

The Gairloch & District Times (SCIO) is a Scottish Charity registered with the Scottish Charity Regulator with effect from 25 November 2010, with registration number SC041926. The charity became a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) with effect from 1 April 2015 following a transfer from the original Unincorporated Association.

The charity is governed and administered in accordance with its constitution.

Trustees are elected or appointed at committee meetings. Trustee vacancies are advertised locally. Annual General Meetings are advertised locally, and are open to all members of the community.

The Trustees manage the day-to-day running of the charity. The charity employs a part-time Editor and a part-time Administrator with all other activities being carried out by volunteers, including the Trustees. Trustees are responsible for prudent budgeting and overseeing the finances.

Objectives and Activities

Charitable Purposes

The charitable purposes of the Gairloch & District Times (SCIO) are defined in its constitution. The charitable purposes of the Gairloch & District Times (SCIO) are:

The charitable objectives of the Gairloch & District Times (SCIO) are:

The area within which the organisation shall operate (in the constitution referred to as the ‘Area of Benefit’) shall be the Gairloch Parish and surrounding areas. The organisation shall promote (but not promote exclusively) its activities and delivery operations to people within the ‘Area of Benefit’ who are residents within the Gairloch Parish area. These people will be the organisation’s beneficiaries.

Achievements and Performance

The paper is produced by a team of paid staff and volunteers headed by the Editor and assisted by the Administrator. The Administrator is responsible for managing the advertising subscriptions and carries out the day to day financial activities and bookkeeping using the QuickBooks software. The proofreading, printing and delivery of the newspapers to local retail outlets is done by volunteers.

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There is an online version of the newspaper which can be accessed by purchasing a subscription. This also provides access to archived issues going back to the first one which was published in 1978.

With the help of the volunteers the Gairloch and District Times (SCIO) produces 25 issues per year. Current circulation is around 940 copies per issue depending on the time of year, and this including approximately 240 copies which are read online by the digital subscribers.

Future Plans

The aim is to continue to improve the quality of the content of the paper, ensuring that it remains at the centre of the local community. The Trustees have also expressed a wish for the paper to significantly boost online subscriptions, and to pursue policies that take advantage of all avalable tech and IT developments as they happen. We again commit to retaining the main publication of the Gairloch and District Times as a printed item, while continuing to build our online presence and subscriptions.

Financial Review

Policy on reserves

Gairloch & District Times (SCIO) wishes to produce sufficient income annually to meet all outgoings and generate a funding surplus. The level of reserves should be sufficient to meet all liabilities in the event of a sudden change in its trading position. Reserves were £27,652 at the end of the financial year.

Review of accounts

The charity’s financial position improved markedly during the year, moving from a deficit of £5,609 in 2023–24 to a surplus of £5,368 in 2024–25. This turnaround was largely due to stronger trading income, with significant increases in advertising revenue, paper sales, and particularly subscription income, which almost doubled year on year. Expenditure was also carefully managed, with a notable reduction in staffing and pension costs following efficiencies introduced during the year. Overall, the charity has returned to a sustainable operating position and strengthened its financial resilience going into 2025–26.

Trustees' Remuneration and Expenses

The Trustees all provide their services on a voluntary basis. No remuneration or other expenses are paid to Trustees.

Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Signed:

Date: 17 / 11 / 2025

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GAIRLOCH & DISTRICT TIMES (SCIO)

SC041926

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2025

I report on the accounts of Gairloch & District Times (SCIO) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which are set out on pages 7-9.

This report is made solely to the Company’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an Independent Examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s Trustees as a body for my work or for this report.

Respective responsibilities of the Trustees and Examiner

The charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 as amended in 2010. The charity Trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10(1) (d) of the Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44(1) (c) of the 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 Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity & a comparison of the accounts presented in those records. It also includes the consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeks explanations from the Trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, & consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiner’s Statement

In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

  1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements: e to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44(1)(a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations, and

  2. e to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations have not been met,

  3. or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed:

a

Dated: 5[th] November, 2025

Simple Figures Ltd, 17 West Argyle Street, Ullapool IV26 2TY

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SC041926

GAIRLOCH & DISTRICT TIMES (SCIO)

STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS For the year ended 31 March 2025

2025 2025 2025 2024
Unrestricted Designated Total Total
£ £ £ £
INCOME (excl VAT)
Advertising 17,376 - 17,376 13,042
Sales – Papers 13,733 - 13,733
11,671		 11,671
Sales – Subscriptions 7,701 - 7,701
3,968		 3,968
Sales - Services 608 - 608 1,607
Donations 13 - 13 23
Other Income 51 - 51 338
Bank Interest Received - - - 579
Grants Received - - -
2,000		 2,000
Total 39,482 - 39,482 33,228
EXPENDITURE (excl VAT)
Computer Costs 1,076 - 1,076 1,361
Crossword 110 - 110 -
Independent Examiner’s Fee 150 - 150 220
Insurances 192 - 192 581
Office/Gen Admin Expenses 346 - 346 330
Other Professional Services 48 - 48 -
Packaging 22 - 22 -
Bank & Paypal fees 25 - 25 74
Payroll fees 621 - 621 195
Telephone costs 327 - 327 295
Postage & Stationery 1,046 - 1,046 1,232
Printer Consumables & 3,029 - 3,029 2,342
Maintenance
Printing 4,012 - 4,012 4,164
Rent 2,092 - 2,092 2,119
Salaries and Pension 20,988 - 20,988 25,317
Sundry Expenses 30 - 30 607
Total 34,114 - 34,114
38,837		 38,837
Surplus/(deficit) for the 5,368
(5,609)		 (5,609)
year

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GAIRLOCH & DISTRICT TIMES (SCIO)

SC041926

STATEMENT OF BALANCES As at 31 March 2025

Unrestricted Designated Total
£ £ £
Bank and cash in hand
Opening balances 26,157 - 26,157
Net movement in funds (297) - (297)
Closing balances 25,860 - 25,860
Fund £
Assets
Debtors (Trade) Unrestricted 2,888
Total assets 2,888
Liabilities
VAT Payment due Unrestricted 1,096
Total liabilities 1,096
Net assets 1,792
Total funds 25,860 27,652

These accounts were approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by;

Trustee

Date:[17 / 11 / 2025]

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GAIRLOCH & DISTRICT TIMES (SCIO)

SC041926

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS For the year ended 31 March 2025

Accounting basis

These accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance with the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).

Value Added Tax (VAT)

The Gairloch and District Times (SCIO) has been registered for VAT since 1 January 2017. All income and expenditure are stated exclusive of VAT. Any balance due to or from HMRC at the year end is shown within the Statement of Balances.

Fixed assets

The charity owns a small amount of office and printing equipment which was purchased in previous years and continues to be used in the course of its charitable activities. As these accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis, such assets are not included in the Statement of Balances. The equipment is considered to have an ongoing functional value to the charity but no significant realisable value.

Nature and purpose of funds

Unrestricted funds:

These are funds which may be used at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. They are used to meet the ongoing running costs of the charity.

Designated funds:

These are restricted funds earmarked by the Trustees for particular purposes.

Grants issued

No grants were issued by the Gairloch and District Times (SCIO) in the year.

Trustee remuneration and expenses

No remuneration was received by the Trustees during the year. No expenses were paid during the year to Trustees.

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