Mar 22 AGM - Hawkesbury Upton Village Hall - Hire for Weddings, Parties, Stage for Live music

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HAWKESBURY UPTON HALL COMMITTEE
 
Agenda Annual General Meeting
 
Monday 21st March 2022
 
Meet at 8pm for 8.30pm start
 
 
   
 
Apologies
         
Previous Minutes 
 
Matters Arising
 
Chairman’s Report
 
Treasurer’s Report
 
Election of Committee Members
 
Any Other Business
 
 
 
 
 After the meeting the bar will be open and Nibbles will be served


HAWKESBURY UPTON HALL COMMITTEE
 
Minutes of Annual General Meeting
 
Held on Monday 21st March 2021
 
Present    
Vicky Rispin, Moira Fozard, Hilary Rogers, Joy Salvidge, Jackie Sandy, Alan Hemingway, Liz Hemingway, Hannah Knight, Neil Fozard, Chris Knight, Phil Dennett, Angelo Sauro, Andrew Webb, Bill Cullen
 
Apologies
Mandy Clark, Kate Bashford, Sally Roberts, Louise Roberts, Fiona Steeds
 
The committee members introduced themselves for the benefit of those attending the AGM
                    
Previous Minutes 
The minutes of the previous AGM were signed by Andrew as a true record.
 
Matters Arising
None.
 
Chairman’s Report
Andrew read this out and a copy is attached. Emphasis was on the considerable work undertaken by the committee in the last 12 months, the significantly improved financial position, the determination of a 3 year strategic plan and an outline of the key activities put in place in 2021 and to be undertaken in 2022 to align with that plan. Also to be printed in the Parish Magazine. No issues or questions raised at this point.
 
Treasurer’s Report
Bill presented his report at the meeting and a copy is attached.  He explained that as well as the usual Income/Expenditure report we now have a full P&L report enabling us to track our financial status on a monthly basis. This is also attached.
 
Election of Officers
Phil explained that the constitution enables 19 trustees, 11 of which represent the main user bodies of the hall, the other 8 being elected positions not associated with user bodies. Phil emphasised that the user body trustees remain in place irrespective of the AGM – the trustees maintain their positions until they either resign or are replaced by the respective user body. All 8 of the elected trustees had been approached prior to the AGM and all had confirmed their willingness to stand for re-election. Phil said this could be done en-bloc and asked if there were any objections to this approach – there were none. All 8 were proposed for re-election by Vicky Rispin, seconded by Angelo Sauro and the vote was unanimously in favour of all 8 remaining in place for 2022.

 
 
The 8 elected trustees are;
 
Andrew Webb
Bill Cullen
Phil Dennett
Fiona Steeds
Jane Stanbridge
Chris Knight
Hannah Herod
Jackie Sandy
The list of user body trustees is to be updated at the next committee meeting to reflect some recent changes.
 
Angelo asked what the process is for new committee members. Phil replied that all committee members are trustees and there is a process for electing trustees and their registration with the Charities Commission which starts with the person wishing to be elected contacting the secretary 14 days ahead of the AGM. The AGM would then consider the proposal and vote on it. However the most practical and recommended approach is that anyone with interest would be invited to attend several committee meetings as an observer first and then decide if they wished to proceed for which they could initially become co-opted with the agreement of the majority of existing trustees.
 
Any Other Business
1.      Alan Hemingway expressed his enthusiasm for the strategic direction the committee are taking but asked if the committee had sufficient expertise and resources to undertake the advertising and marketing activities that would be required to make it a success. Andrew replied that Jane Stanbridge is responsible for publicity and has much experience and that he would discuss with Jane if more resource/assistance was required especially with regards Social Media where several attendees felt it needed significant strengthening, plus advertising beyond the boundaries of Hawkesbury.
2.      Joy Salvidge enquired if the committee had a dedicated “events manager” or was proposing to appoint one. Joy made a number of proposal for how events could be improved but recognised that it would require additional resource. Jackie Sandy replied that she would like to do this particularly given that the on-line booking system had reduced her workload considerably and she would consider what additional support and help from the committee would be required.
3.      Liz Hemingway asked if the main hall re-decoration plan had been undertaken with professional design help/consultation given the uniqueness of the space and the investment to be made. Andrew replied that Kate and Sally Roberts had been delegated the task by the committee and had brought Joy Salvidge into their planning discussions. Joy explained her background in art and design. Liz felt that before we rush in a further review should take place, possibly with input from a major paint supplier, and said she was happy to contribute to this review.
 
There being no further business the meeting was closed at 9.15pm.


Hawkesbury Hospital Hall – Chairman’s Year-End Report 2021
Charity Number 1176993
This is my first annual report as Chair of the committee of trustees having replaced Chris Rispin who stood down at the last AGM after 6 years in the role (and 20 years as a committee member!). I would like to thank Chris for his assistance in my initial transfer to the role and also for his honest and candid explanation of the challenges facing the Village Hall – I cannot say I went into this with my eyes closed!
The past year has been very variable due to the on-going Covid-19 pandemic. We started the year in full lockdown with the hall closed, progressed to partial opening then almost full opening by the summer, only to be restricted again at the year end with the emergence of the Omicron variant. However, despite the continued uncertainty, the committee have worked extremely hard to make 2021 a successful year and to position the hall for future growth and improvement once the pandemic is over. We have used the time, particularly the restricted periods, to undertake a thorough review of all aspects of the hall, from the financial position, the operating position, the current and emerging challenges we see and the ever increasing requirements we face in today’s society in order to set a course for the way forward as we emerge from the pandemic. I provide more detail of this later in the report. This was accompanied by a determination to allow the hall to be used as much as we possibly could throughout the year, implementing strict safety and operating rules and guidelines and cleaning protocols, and the committee are extremely grateful to the many regular hirers who had sufficient confidence in these measures to return rapidly when conditions allowed. We were also able to organise a number of events and fund raisers, mainly in the second half of the year, including two weddings and a benefit performance by the drama group which alongside the return of the Horticultural Show, Bonfire event and Christmas Shopping evening all contributed to boost our income considerably. We were also very grateful for the significant Government Covid grants that continued into 2021.
From a financial perspective, despite being locked down for about 25% of the year and the Covid threat limiting event opportunities, we manged to generate revenue from lettings of approximately £14k, only slightly lower than the total letting revenue for 2019 pre-pandemic. Along with the generous Covid grants and an increase in fundraising, this provided total revenue of approximately £38k. When set against our operating costs and expenditure, all of which have been subjected to considerable scrutiny and challenge, and allowing for particularly high maintenance costs, this has enabled an overall profit for the year of £17k. However, without the Covid grants this would have been a loss of £1k. More details can be found in the Treasurer’s annual report.
It had been highlighted at last year’s AGM that changes were required in order for the hall to remain financially viable and to meet modern day changing requirements. A number of options had been discussed for the future of the hall ranging from relying on subsidies from either a benefactor or the community as a whole, to significantly increasing hiring charges, to a speculative suggestion of adding commercial uses including a potential merger with the village shop. The priority for the year, therefore, was to determine the best strategy for taking the hall forward so we started 2021 by undertaking a village survey and questionnaire which provided some really good insights and views. Along with our internal review of the current financial and operational status and cost base, we formulated a 3-Year Strategic Plan based on a strategy of increasing revenue growth through greater utilisation of the community use of the hall. The main hall costs are largely independent of the hall utilisation and so additional revenue from increased use will allow a larger return that covers these costs and should provide a small surplus for re-investment. This strategy will require improving the hall facility, minimising operating costs and providing both an increase in number and more diverse range of activities and events. The plan has allowed us to set a direction for the immediate future and to prioritise appropriate actions and make key decisions. Much of the committee’s work in 2021 has focussed on what I would call “behind the scenes” activities that are not immediately visible to hirers or users of the hall and its facilities but are essential to set the conditions going forward. These have included major reviews of our governance, our policies and procedures, finances and operating efficiencies. The key highlights and improvements we have achieved through the year are as follows:
·       Stabilised and improved the hall finances through in depth review of revenue sources, costs and expenses, payment schedules, etc. and implemented a detailed and robust new finance and accounting system and procedures to enable more accurate understanding of the finances and better decision making
·       Ensured our full entitlement to the generous Government Covid grants that were available and, in addition, have relentlessly pursued other grant and funding opportunities resulting in awards from the European Leader Programme, the National Lottery, our own Parish Council and some private donations. Along with the financial management improvements, this has allowed us to establish a “minimum reserve” operating balance in our accounts for the future to address regular operating costs plus any surprises, increased maintenance requirements, etc. but, crucially, also allowed us to establish an investment/development fund aligned to the Strategic Plan. This will enable approx. £38k to be spent in 2022 on improvement and development of the hall to grow revenue by making it a more inviting venue for additional hall entertainment events, live music, meetings, private parties, wedding receptions, christening parties, etc. whilst at the same time significantly reducing energy costs
·       Reviewed and re-written almost every policy and procedure, bringing them up to date with current legislation and societal expectations. This has been a very significant committee activity absorbing many hours and I offer a special thank you to those committee members who took responsibility for each of the policies/procedures
·       Overhauled our Health & Safety approach resulting in a re-write of the policy and the implementation of a new risk management process with improved risk register and risk action monitoring. This has significantly improved the identification of risk hazards enabling a prioritised mitigation action plan to be developed that has in turn resulted in the overall risk profile being reduced to a very low level
·       Made a significant move toward digitisation of the hall operation with the introduction of an on-line booking and automated invoicing system, the introduction of a card payment scheme for the bar, which also allows accurate recording of all sales items to improve stock control and estimating for future events, plus the use of cloud-based document storage to provide easier and faster document storage and retrieval and enable faster decision making
·       Appointed a dedicated bar manager to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the licenced bar for all events and parties
If 2021 was a year of mainly “behind the scenes” activity and improvements by the committee, this will change considerably in 2022 as we implement the investment/development plan I highlighted earlier. The plan consists of 10 projects to enhance the whole of the hall building. The key highlights are listed below:
·       The first and most obvious is the investment in solar power generation. Aided by 80% total grant funding, we will complete the installation at Easter which will allow the hall to become net self-sufficient for our annual electricity requirements. As well as the very obvious environmental benefit, this will prove a very good investment as we see the significant rises in energy bills that will come into effect during the year
·       The whole of the main hall will undergo a substantial refurbishment and re-decoration programme to enhance its appearance and use and attractiveness to potential hirers, complementing the improvements to the kitchen and toilets made in recent years
·       The hall refurbishment will also extend to the bar and cellar area to replace old equipment, re-decorate and modernise to allow more efficient operation
·       Investment in the upstairs meeting room and office aimed at creating a more professional work and meeting environment to increase bookings from businesses as well as activity and charity groups
·       A hearing-loop system will be installed in both the main hall and upstairs meeting room to improve the facilities for those with hearing difficulties
·       Storage facility improvements for the key user groups of the hall to improve use of space
·       Overhaul of the website and broadening of our advertising and marketing approach, once the improvements have been completed, to target increased lettings
In 2022 we will also develop an Environmental Strategy and Action Plan which will complement the solar power investment and lead to reduced carbon emissions, reduced waste and reduced operating costs – but more about that in next year’s report!
However, it needs to be recognised that, even with the reasonably high current utilisation of the hall by the regular bookers/activity groups, the costs of running and operating the hall exceed the revenue from all these regular lettings by approximately £6k per year. The committee are reluctant to significantly increase hiring rates, though a small increase may be necessary, but would rather focus on increasing the number and diversity of key revenue generating events, private parties, weddings and so forth. We have based our strategy on this, but of course its success is dependent on the residents of Hawkesbury and their desire and willingness to support such activities and events.
I will finish my report by offering my sincere thanks for the support and effort of the hall committee members and volunteers. Our village hall is operated as an Incorporated Charity and is self-funding – it is not financed or operated by the Parish Council, as many seem to believe, nor does it have any beneficiaries or major donors or sponsors. The hall is run by the committee, all of whom are volunteers who provide their time and effort completely free of charge and take on the responsibility of trustees of the Incorporated Charity to enable the existence, operation and development of the hall to meet the needs and requirements of the residents of Hawkesbury. The Village Hall should be regarded as a community asset and its continued operation and success will only be possible through the community’s use and support of it.
 
Andrew Webb
Chairman – Hawkesbury Hospital Hall Incorporated Charity



 
 
 
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