Minutes of the Meeting of the Hurstpierpoint Village Centre Trustees held on Thursday 27 November 2025 at 9.35pm, at Hurstpierpoint Village Centre (Charity No 305265).
| Trustees Present: | Malcolm Llewellyn (Chair) Michael Avery Sarah Baldey | Susan Dyke Rodney Jackson Duncan Ranger | Bob Sampson Julia Shorrocks Annette Street Lindsay Thompson |
Also present: Sarah Groom, Clerk to the Trustees
- Apologies for Absence: The Trustees received and accepted apologies for absence from Claire Majsai and Helen Bedford.
2. Declarations of Interest: There were no declarations of interest.
3. Previous Minutes: The Trustees received and agreed the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 24 July 2025.
4. Half Year Village Centre Budget Monitoring: The Trustees reviewed and assessed the Village Centre’s financial position at the half year stage. It was noted that the income position was very healthy. The Trustees noted a typing error on the 5020-701 budget code for Waste.
5. Village Centre Budget Monitoring: The Trustees further reviewed and assessed the Village Centre’s financial position at the seven month stage, with no matters requiring further action.
6. Charges Review for 2026/27: The Trustees reviewed the briefing note setting out the schedule of annual charges for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 for adoption. Susan Dyke noted the comparison of charges to other local venues such as the Scout Hut which were similar and very reasonable. Annette Street suggested that the Trustees include a regular review of the overall governance arrangements for the Charity and not just its financial position.
7. Budget Setting 2026/27: The Trustees reviewed and assessed the budget requirements for 2026/27 and agreed to review them again in February 2026, when there may be more information on the cost of Gas.
8. Feedback on the Trustees Training: The Trustees considered feedback on the Mulberry training session held on 6 November 2025 noting any actions for improvement. The Trustees agreed to ask the Parish Council to reclaim the VAT for last four years via its 126 VAT Claim mechanism permitted under Section 23 of the 1994 VAT Act. A handover/governance manual will be produced for the Charity, which will include formally adopting a similar number of policies to the Parish Council.
9. Hurstpierpoint Society Grant: The Trustees considered the offer made by the Society to donate £500 towards the cost of £1,796 that is required to repair the benches outside the Village Centre. The Society also requested a plaque be placed on the benches acknowledging their contribution. The Trustees took a vote on the decision whether to accept the funds and, with seven in favour, two against and one abstention, the vote was carried to accept the Society’s funds of £500 towards the Village Centre bench refurbishment costs.
10. Date of Next Meetings: The Trustees agreed the date of the next meeting as 26 February 2026, to follow the conclusion of the Parish Council meeting at 7.30pm.
The meeting closed at 10.18pm.
Chairman