| Date | Monday 11th May 2026 |
| Present | Committee: Stella, Damian, Toni, Steve, Jess, Alex, Becca, Nick Members of Public: 1 (Betty) |
| Apologies | Claire, Maggie, Bill |
| Next AGM | Date TBC |
| Item | Commentary |
| Minutes of the last AGM | Agreed |
| Treasurer’s report | Damian as Treasurer then gave a review of the finances over the past 12 months. Highlights included; bookings/booking funds were increased over the last 12 months compared to the previous year, as did social events and fundraising; we have raised over £50k this year in fundraising and grants. Insurance fees increased although we had a significant reduction in cleaning and garden maintenance due to personnel changes; invested in the new kitchen; water, gas and electric reduced by c£500 this year. Damian resolved the complications with our savings account and moved to an investment account and summarised this. Damian summarised finances are looking positive however we have no upcoming grant funding planned but have the Community Kitchen to subsidise, and plans for audio visual and sound deadening/stage curtains for 2026-2027. We hope the significant investment into the hall will increase the hire of the hall as it currently stands it only covers basic utilities costs, maintenance and we are relying on fundraising for the running of the hall. Damian laid out we should hope to increase hire of the hall from £6k to £9k a year to cover all the costs but currently the fundraising makes up the difference. He acknowledged the hard work of the committee in putting on these successful events. |
| Chair’s Report | Chairman’s Annual report 2025/26 Object Gittisham Parish Hall is a place of meeting and of instruction, recreation and entertainment, for the inhabitants of the parish of Gittisham and otherwise for the benefit of the inhabitants of the said parish. Performance Gittisham Village Hall has had another very active and community-focused year, marked by a blend of social events, infrastructure improvements, and strategic financial planning. Community Events & Engagement The hall hosted a variety of popular and lucrative events, including Burns Night, two quizzes, live music, a variety of talks, craft sales, two bingo events, a big breakfast, monthly coffee and cake afternoons and a Father’s Day BBQ. Additionally, the weekly Community Kitchen continued to offer free meals every Thursday bringing parishioners together to share food and socialise. Private bookings including: 12 Birthday parties, 7 family celebrations, 25 Yoga classes, 1 retreat, 2 Womens circle, 1 health intervention, 17 exercise classes, 14 Tai Chi, 40 Dance Club, 5 music rehearsals, 5 funeral wakes and 2 wedding receptions, 12 pop up cafes. These gatherings not only fostered community spirit and reduced isolation but also contributed to increased hall bookings and revenue. The committee continued its quarterly engagement with Devon Communities Together, a support organisation for village halls in East Devon, sharing experiences and learning. Infrastructure & Sustainability The hall’s facilities and sustainability were improved. Grants were successfully obtained from the local council and the national lottery that, along with our fundraising events, helped to finalise the kitchen upgrade, aligning with the hall’s commitment to energy efficiency and fire safety. The new kitchen is now built to a commercial standard with ventilation, electric shutter, stainless steel surfaces, new flooring and commercial freezer. The hall was repainted by volunteers using painted donated by a local firm. Poor plasterwork was removed and the brickwork pointed. The kitchen successfully obtained a 5 star hygiene rating from the Council health and safety inspector. Outdoor maintenance tasks, including external painting, benches, planting and chippings, all ensured the hall surrounds remain in good condition. Finally, a fire assessment was successfully completed and extinguishers serviced. Financial Management The hall’s financial position continued to be sustainable, thanks to grants and fundraising efforts, but the hall still faced rising operational costs. At the end of the financial year, the hall’s bank balance was again positive and the annual return was submitted on time. Reserves cover two years of operating costs. Hall funds were transferred to an HSBC charity account offering a higher rate of return. The overall balances of the current account and reserves are given in the financial report. The main risk to the charity is low revenue from commercial hiring and this is offset with strong marketing and holding of multiple fundraising events. Building insurance was upgraded during the year to reflect higher rebuilding costs. Hall bookings run more efficiently and transparently using the dedicated Hallmaster web-based system. Committee changes Changes have included two new members joining : Becca Avery and Steve Brinklow.. Nick Chapman and Stella Adamson continued as Chair and Vice Chair respectively and Damian Furniss as Treasurer. Summary Gittisham Village Hall has had an outstanding year in terms of improving the hall’s facilities, ensuring financial health, building sustainability and fostering a strong sense of community spirit, while maintaining an active and committed group of committee members. Gittisham Village Hall has continued to serve as a vital hub for community activities providing a wide range of events and hosting a large number of private bookings. |
| Comments received | Stella noted the hiring has already picked up and we have more birthday parties, weddings and private events. Stella noted we need to continue the advertising both through social media and traditional channels. We could explore getting some pictures done and creating a hall brochure to put out to the public. We could also benefit from longer term bookings to replace the yoga/fitness that sadly concluded this year. Stella also said we have had many positive comments from bookers on the quality of the kitchen and repeat bookings off the back of this. |
| Election of officers | ELECTION OF COMMITTEE OFFICERS We have 4 positions; Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer & Secretary. (Plus a bonus position of Bookings Secretary) Nick was unanimously voted in as Chair of the Committee. Stella was unanimously voted in as Vice Chair. Damian was unanimously voted in as Treasurer. I (Jess) stood down as Secretary due to personal/family commitments. Becca was unanimously voted in as Secretary. Thanks to Becca for volunteering. Bookings Secretary: Stella and Gary remain in their roles with Stella managing the booking system and Gary doing the meets and greets but this could be subject to change this year. Hallmaster is a great system and easy to use. |
| Hiring charges | Hire charges were frozen for this coming year |
| AOB | Betty raised the piano concert next week and discussed attendance, advertising, table layout and asking Michael to give an opening word on the evening. Food was discussed and we will be doing donations only and BYOB so we don’t need a licence. Nick then concluded the AGM and thanked everyone for their attendance. Betty said her thanks and left. |
