DORRIDGE VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2025>

Dorridge Village Hall has continued to be extensively used for the benefit of the local community during the period 2024/2025, with the Main Hall and the smaller Meeting Room have been almost fully booked throughout the period.

USE OF DORRDGE VILLAGE HALL

The hall continues to provide an important service to the community shown in the consistently high utilization and to help streamline and manage bookings we started using the Hallmaster Booking system in September 2024.

Our Income from our charitable activities, that is letting the Hall and Meeting Room was more that 10% higher than in the previous year and we anticipate that the present high utilization rate will continue in 2025/26. New regular activities during 2024/25 include: a soft volleyball group, a pre-natal class, three dance practice groups, a carers social meeting, a regular market and a singing group.

HALL MAINTENANCE

We have continued to maintain the Halls to keep it to the standard that the public expect. The unreliable boilers mentioned in last years report have now been replaced, and with the other changes made to the heating last year, heating is much improved. To try and reduce the burden of matching heating requirements to bookings, we are looking at linking the heating control to the Hallmaster booking system.

We undertook a complete inspection of our security and of the fire detection and alarm system. As a result, an additional security camera has been installed in the bar area, and new heat detectors in the bar and kitchen areas, as well as undertaking normal maintenance of the system and fire extinguishers.

The condition of the doors at the rear of the stage has deteriorated and as aresult a decision taken to replace all three doors around the stage with fire-resistant doors, with the two to the rear arranged as fire escapes.

In view of the increasing complexity of regulations surrounding buildings used in a similar way to that Dorridge Village Hall, we have engaged an outside consultant to help us continue to meet the regulatory requirements, and during the months ahead we will be arranging inspections of the premises to cover such diverse subjects as water quality, electrical safety, asbestos etc.

Users of the meeting room have mentioned that the lighting of the path leading to the Meeting Room entrance was inadequate on dark nights. As a result, the lighting around the sides of the main hall overlooking the path concerned has been substantially enhanced.

The cooker/oven in the kitchen was slow to warm-up, as a result it has been replaced by an all-electric model. Some minor electrical and upgrading was required to accommodate, as the power requirement of the new all-electric cooker was greater than the old model. Further improvements to the kitchen are being considered, in particular the installation of a dish washer. Initial review has indicated that such an installation would require a more significant change to the kitchen layout.

Looking ahead, we have started a review of the entrance door arrangements, as the existing door and its frame appear to have distorted and allow the ingress of some water in certain weather conditions.

BECOMING GREENER

We applied from a grant under Solihull MBCs community infrastructure levy scheme to install solar panels on the roof of the current entrance/bar area, together with associated storage batteries. At the end of the year a final decision on our application was expected in early April. If successful, it will enable us also to take a more radical look at our hot water requirements, possibly to replace the existing hot water tanks, with instant hot water heaters associated with each of our hot water taps. This will in turn greatly reduce issues associated with continued water quality compliance.

In the future, we anticipate making further changes, when sensible and economic to do so, towards an even greener future.

ADMINISTRATION

Last year it was indicated that we had been consulting with Hallmaster, with a view to using their system to undertake some of our administration tasks, particularly invoicing and bookings. So far the Hallmaster system has been working well for us, with a greatly reduced administrative burden.

We must thank Rodger Lawrence, Christine Price and Ed Mathews who retired from the Executive Committee at our Annual General Meeting in August 2024, and welcome Katherine Leach, David French, Steve Patrick, Daivd Wright, Fran Baxter, Paul Froggett, and Neerja Danona who joined the Executive Committee at that AGM. Subsequently Barbara Garcia and Steve Patrick stood down and we express our thanks to them too.

Finally, our then Chair, Barabara Massey, stood down for family reasons in November after 17 years in the role, and we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to her for all that she did in those years. Robert Beckham was co-opted as Chair in her stead.

We thank Marilyn Froggatt and Bob Tabb for their continued efforts on the Executive Committee, and although not now formally a member of the Executive Committee, Barabara Massey continues to work with our bookings team to show prospective hirers of facilities
We would also like to thank David Hawkin for his help during the year particularly with IT support.

signed 17 July 2025
Robert Beckham
Chair – Dorridge Village Hall Association

Financial Review

Review of the Year

The results for the year ended on 31 March 2025 are shown in the accounts set out on pages 8 to 10. The net surplus in operating activities amounted to £10,260 (2024: £956). The net surplus arising in the year all relates to unrestricted funds.

The Trustees consider the financial position of the Association to be satisfactory. The net current assets of £138,743 (2023: £125,625) are adequate to cover the on-going financial commitments of the charity.

Reserves Policy

The Trustees are mindful that the long-term viability of the charity requires them to retain sufficient funds to meet its immediate obligations. On this basis the Association has determined that it should hold cash reserves sufficient cash to cover six months overheads, that is £30,000. On that basis the liquid assets available to spend on necessary repairs, maintenance and improvements on31 march 2025 was £108, 743.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust and constitutes an unincorporated charity.

Charity Constitution

Dorridge Village Hall Association is an unincorporated association defined by its constitution. A revised constitution was adopted on 9th November 2017 and approved by the Charity Commission. The Management Committee has been administering the Association in accordance with this revised constitution since then.

Recruitment and appointment of Trustees

Trustees are appointed in accordance with the charity’s constitution by the Management Committee at the AGM. All members of the Executive Committee are nominated by the Constitution as Charity Trustees.

Approved and signed on behalf of the Trustees and Management Committee on 14th July 2025
Robert Beckham, Chairman and Trustee