___________________________________________________Summary of the Chairman's report for the 2009 AGM which took place on Wednesday 25th February 2009:
IntroductionThis is always an important occasion. The Village Centre is a focal point in the valley. It is a first class facility and that is how we must maintain it. It belongs to the inhabitants of St. Mary Bourne through the original gift in 1925 and the views of them and of users of the Village Centre are of the utmost importance in ensuring that it remains useful to, and used by local people for whose benefit it exists.
The General Picture2008-2009 has been another busy year. I would like to pay tribute at the outset to the commitment and dedication of my fellow trustees and members of the committee of management some of whom are involved daily with administration and decisions. To them I – and we in the local community – owe an enormous debt of gratitude to them for their voluntary and uncomplaining work (in no order of precedence):-
- Inez Bushnell, for managing the bookings and collecting the fees;
- Ray Randall, for repairs, maintenance and improvements and crisis management;
- John Churchley, our Treasurer, for his daily management of the finances;
- Bridget Culley, for her supervision of health and safety and her experience and wise counsel;
- Karen Croft, our secretary;
- Peter Tracey who has brought a new perspective to our affairs and is leading the kitchen refurbishment project;
- Michael Widén, my vice-chairman, who is always on hand to deal with matters small and large and, in particular, is responsible for all licensing matters;
To all, and to each, of them: Thank You.
In addition: very grateful thanks to our Hon. Auditor, Tim Macnamara, who is present with us this evening.
In the year since our the last AGM on 27th February 2008 the Management Committee met for their 4 quarterly meetings. In addition there has been frequent and regular e-mail traffic between committee members and trustees about daily decisions which need to be taken.
We hope that the committee of management will remain willing to serve. Thus the existing administration will continue. But we always need, and welcome, interest from anyone wishing to help and anyone who has particular skills which may be of benefit. New members can always be co-opted onto the committee.
This year two of our five trustees have reached the end of their five year terms and you have just re-elected them for another term of service.
This last year has, of course, been a year of unprecedented economic difficulty. The nation is officially in recession and the global economy is in crisis. The effects have not yet directly impacted on the Village Centre but they are sure to do so just as they affect us all individually. For example, our invested reserves will not now yield for the time being anything like what they have in the recent past and as a consequence our overall income will drop. That may mean that we shall have to consider sooner than we might otherwise have done raising hire charges. On the other hand the recession may mean greater use of the Village Centre by hirers which might help to offset the loss of income.
There are significant changes in the offing this year.
(1) We are due to lose our Bookings Secretary, Inez Bushnell, who has given notice of her wish to retire later this year after 12 years. Personally I am dreading the loss of Inez. She has managed the task of managing the diary, ensuring provision of the keys, securing payments and generally managing the bookings with care, dedication and sensitivity. As the saying goes: You cannot please all the people all of the time but Inez has come as close as can be to achieving it! All users and hirers owe her a great debt of gratitude, and so do we on the management committee. We shall miss her.
(2) We are also due to lose our Treasurer, John Churchley who, likewise, has given notice of his intention to retire from office after managing the Village Centre’s account for 9 years. To him is due public recognition of his dedication and skill in preserving and augmenting our funds and ensuring our financial stability. I dare to suggest that he has done rather better than some of the leaders of other financial institutions in the country. Quite simply he has done a magnificent job in managing and maintaining our finances. I cannot imagine how we shall manage without him.
(3) Typical of Inez and of John, they have said that they will not step down until we have found worthy successors. So we are seeking volunteers who would be prepared to act as Bookings Secretary and as Treasurer. Please ask yourself, and ask others, who might be willing to perform these important jobs for the community. The trustees are considering whether there may be merit in combining the roles of Bookings Secretary with that of Treasurer in the case of the right individual. This would have administrative benefits although bring greater burdens. The roles have hitherto been voluntary and without direct remuneration but, if the circumstances require we may consider whether some degree of financial support should be available to these office holders.
The other issue which is occupying out energies is the proposal to extend and improve the kitchen. This would be the most significant single enterprise we have embarked upon since the building of the new hall. As the sub-committee will report in due course, we are still drawing up and costing proposals which, when complete, will be considered by the trustees and a decision whether to proceed will be made. But work in obtaining planning permission, quotations from building contractors and grant aid is well advanced. We hope that a decision will be made later this spring. If we decide, in principle, to go ahead it may have profound implications for our finances – for example whether we should draw on our reserves and whether we shall need to raise funds from within the community, both falling at a time of financial and economic difficulty.
On a brighter note, last year I expressed our concern about the use and future of the Clubroom. I am happy to say that we have reached agreement with the Parish Council who will be able to have use of the Clubroom as a Parish office and meeting room. This offers benefits to both bodies and, most important of all, to the community as a whole. The Parish Council will have a fixed office for the convenience of parishioners and the Village Centre will receive some modest income from hiring out the space. We all benefit.
In addition, the ambience of the Village Centre has been greatly improved by the highway improvement works, completed by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, on the access from the main road to the shop. My Vice-Chairman has been astute to ensure that the work has been done to the highest standard.
I think it appropriate to restate, publicly what we exist to provide:-
We are, of course, a registered charity, established by a trust deed in 1952. The objects of the charity are as follows –
‘… the provision and maintenance of a village hall for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of St. Mary Bourne and its immediate vicinity … without distinction of political, religious or other opinions, including use for meetings, lectures and classes, and for other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants.’
It follows from this that we are not a business and we do not exist to make profit. Our income is applied exclusively to covering our costs and to the maintenance and improvement of the Village Centre as a whole.
FinancesThe picture for the year ending 31.12.08 is reasonably steady, as the Treasurer will report. Letting income is down this year by just short of £1,000 but we have made a small surplus due to reduced maintenance costs and bank interest. We live within our means, but only just, and the fact is that the unearned income from our reserves subsidises a loss from our earnings.
We are fortunate to have reserves of capital of some £47,000. This is a substantial sum but it is one which we have thought prudent to hold against extraordinary or unexpected expenditure or need in years to come. These funds are represent monies raised 15 and more years ago to finance the building of the new hall and some modest donations since, all carefully nurtured by our Treasurer. None of this money comes from income. We do not set aside income as reserves and we have no intention of doing so, so long as we are able to preserve what we consider to be a sufficient sum to meet future contingencies.
We need to be prudent and careful but we are stable. The Treasurer has full details about the figures.
BookingsLettings have been generally good but are slightly down on last year. The loss of the Playgroup has made its mark. The use of the Clubroom by the Parish Council will help this year. We do not expect any dramatic change in the general pattern of usage, however a few substantial ‘one-off’ hirers (e.g. for weddings, dances and the like) could make a significant difference.
All that said, bookings remain reasonably steady.
The introduction of some increases in charges has been accepted. We have instituted a single additional charge for power usage in the case of hirers who, for example, use significantly more power through the use of outside refrigeration units.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that our charges are extremely reasonable for the quality of facilities which we offer however we need to remain vigilant about our charges.
Repairs & MaintenanceHere, as always, the expenditure tends to be concentrated. The main hall is now 15 years old and, inevitably, requires more to be spent on up-keep and improvement. This year we have kept expenditure exceptionally low but there are items which will need attention – for example replacement of the heating units in the main hall and the repairs to the rear doors.
We are working on the viability of the kitchen refurbishment project through a dedicated sub-committee. This will be a major and very costly project but is one which we are working actively on. The sub-committee is examining the possibility of extending the building itself to accommodate a larger, improved kitchen. Any suggestions, wishes or criticisms are most important and very welcome.
Cultural ActivitiesWe have had a good year. Priors Players staged their show Glorious in March last year. They benefit from the hall and its facilities and in turn make a significant contribution to our income as well as our cultural life.
Thanks to Michael Widén with the Moviola film screenings which have continued to be a great success. All were relatively recent releases and popular films. The convenience of the Village Centre, with a bar, and low seat prices have been a hit. We made £282 bar takings in 2008. We intend to continue the film evenings as long as there continues to be the current level of demand. We need to sell 60 or more tickets each showing to make it worthwhile.
In the light of a clear falling demand for live theatre we have not renewed bookings for theatre companies such as Hog the Limelight, Forest Forge and Proteus Players. These companies produce shows of high quality at a very modest cost (they are subsidised by the Hampshire County Council). Whilst they cannot expect to please everybody every time, we have noted a distinct decrease in support over the past few years. It is disappointing but, necessarily, reflects the interests and wishes of the community.
LicensesThe current statutory regime has settled down and continues to be a great benefit for the Village Centre and hirers alike since it is less bureaucratic than the old system before the Licensing Act 2003. It remains of the utmost importance that hirers who do wish to dispense alcohol must notify the Bookings Secretary on booking and must sign the appropriate form.
The Future2009-2010 will be a year of change and challenge but I am confident we can continue to maintain this Village Centre as one of the best in the county.
Finally do not overlook our website where you will find all (or nearly all) you need to know – www.communigate.co.uk/hants/stmarybournevillagecentre
Finally - thanks to our hirers and users and to all those who have taken the trouble to attend our AGM.
John Dixon
Chairman of the trustees
Vice-Chairman: Michael Widén (Trustee)
Finance Controller: John Churchley (Trustee)
Trustees: Bridget Culley, Peter Tracey
__________________________________________________
Volunteers celebrate success
Volunteers from across the borough were thanked for giving their time to do things for others in the community on Thursday 2nd August 2007 in the War Memorial Park, Basingstoke.
The Village Centre Management Committee had nominated Inez Bushnell, Bookings Secretary for over 10 years, to receive an award. The event, which is organised by Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council in partnership with the Basingstoke & Deane Community Forum, saw over 150 people who are involved with community centres and village hall committees celebrate volunteering.
Accompanied by Village Centre Chairman John Dixon, Inez received the 'Long Service Award' presented to her by the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Cllr Warwick Lovegrove.
The party that followed aimed to acknowledge the many volunteers who donate their time, effort and skills to help others enjoy community facilities locally.
______________________________________________
Last updated: 18 June 2009
