AUTUMN 2022
COMMUNITY BUILDINGS NEWSLETTER
Autumn has definitely arrived. In the face of rising energy costs, find out about the support available to help keep both your hall and your community warm this winter (P7). There are a handful of tickets left for the CCS Community Buildings Conference next week. A one-off opportunity to meet funders, advisers, providers and other hall trustees, all under one roof! (P2-3) Other events this month include the Somerset Social Enterprise 'Employing Staff Webinar' (P12), and a Community Hall Climate Adaption Workshop (P13).
confusion around how these licences operate in practice. Find out more on Page 4. The featured hall is Oake and District Village Hall who are hosting a new build community shop and post office on their grounds. (P9) Funding news can be found on P10-11. We also have two specific funding lists: one for Warm Spaces, and another for halls making environmental improvements. You can download both lists from the CCS website here.
We are often asked about setting Most halls require PPL and PRS up a 1oo club as a way to licences for music in their building. fundraise for village halls. Find However, there can be out how to do this on P14.
In this issue CCS COMMUNITY BUILDINGS CONFERENCE P2-3
PPL/PRS MUSIC LICENCE P4-5 WINTER ENERGY ADVICE P7 HALLMARK SUCCESS! P8 OAKE AND DISTRICT HALL P9 FUNDING NEWS P10-11 EMPLOYING STAFF WEBINAR P12
COMMUNITY HALL CLIMATE ADAPTION WORKSHOP P13 100 CLUBS P14 SOMERSET INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTRES P16
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Community Buildings Conference: A Warm Welcome
Join us for the CCS Community Buildings Conference 2022 Tuesday, November 8th, 10am-2.30pm Merriott Village Hall An opportunity to meet funders, energy experts, service providers, and most importantly, other hall trustees! Presentations, networking, an exhibition hall, Hallmark awards, a buffet lunch with local produce, and more!
Almost sold out! Book your place here! Sponsored by:
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Community Buildings Conference: A Warm Welcome PRESENTATIONS Hear how halls can offer a ‘Warm Welcome’ for their community this winter and the support available.
Find out how Merriott Village Hall Committee have reduced energy
consumption through efficiency measures and renewables.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES Norris and Fisher Insurance Brokers can answer all your queries about hall insurance,
Meet Hallmaster, the UK's leading online
MEET THE FUNDERS A chance to meet representatives from the
National Lottery Community Fund and Somerset Community Foundation.
reservation system for community buildings.
Find out more about their current funding
Find out more about acoustics from the Woolly
strong funding application.
Shepherd, natural fibres acoustic company.
ENERGY ADVICE FOR YOUR HALL Meet energy broker Utility Aid. A chance to discuss the best strategies for managing your bills this winter. Energy consultants, Inspired Efficiency, will be on hand to answer queries about saving energy through insulation, heating, lighting, appliances and more.
priorities, as well as advice on how to make a
LUNCH AND CHAT Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch provided by social enterprise, Ark at Egwood, using produce from their own land. Meet up with other hall trustees, as well as the CCS Community Buildings and Smart Communities teams. Share your ideas, concerns and experiences. 3 .
The Music Licence. PRS / PPL What is the Music Licence? Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, a licence is required if music is played and performed in public. There are two music licensing bodies: PPL UK licenses the playing of sound recordings with the royalties going to the artists, performers and recording companies. FundedPRS by for Music licenses the public performance of musical compositions with royalties going to the songwriters, composers and music publishers. PPL PRS Ltd provides licences for the public performance of music on behalf of PRS, PPL and their members. PPL and PRS both offer a Community Buildings Licence, aimed at voluntary organisations such as community centres and village halls. It doesn't include halls run by statutory bodies, such as local authorities, or sports centres.
Do all halls need a Music Licence?
Some commercial hirers, such as exercise instructors, need their own PPL licence if they use PPL controlled music. Community buildings must include income from such sources in their defined income calculation, but if the only use of PPL-controlled music in the building is by commercial or private hirers then the hall does not need its own PPL licence. In this instance, the licensing bodies advise community buildings check that their hirers have the appropriate licences.
How much does it cost?
NB. The use of a TV or radio in the hall does require a PRS and PPL licence.
The fees are 1% of defined income to the building, for each of the two collecting bodies. Where the defined income is less than £10,000, there is currently a flat-fee of £58 for the PPL portion of the fee. If the defined income is over £10,000, the fee will be 1% of defined income. (NB this £10,000 limit is due to be increased next financial year). The PRS for Music royalty is based on 1% of income with an annual minimum fee of £58. One off licences are also available, which may work out cheaper if there are very few events involving music at the hall.
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The Music Licence. PRS / PPL What is defined income? Defined income includes: Door takings and similar takings of the host voluntary organisation (ie hall committee). Hiring charges received from hirers of the building (but not any door takings retained by the hirer). Subscriptions. Net contribution from food and bar takings where they accrue to the community building.
Funded by
However, defined income does not include: VAT. Capital or revenue grants. Interest from accounts, gifts and donations. Proceeds from the sale of donated goods or raffles/100 clubs. Door takings or similar income retained by hirers of the building. Contracts for the delivery of public services eg polling station. Income from other owned assets unrelated to the community building itself eg. car parks, equipment hire, sales of renewable electricity, hosting recycling bins, hiring sports fields where the hirers do not use the building. NB PRS & PPL do not charge for domestic events, such as weddings and private family functions. Income from these events can be taken out of your defined income.
Don't forget to fill out your review form! Defined income is calculated from the previous year's accounts. PPL PRS Ltd will base this on the last publicly available annual accounts, which is likely to include income falling outside defined income, such as grants. Ensure you calculate your defined income and include this on your review form. You could also send a covering letter to explain any points that will impact on the fee. For instance, where a separate organisation has long term use of an area of the hall under an occipational licence or lease, the hall committee can choose to make this organisation responsible for their own licensing arrangement. In this case, the main charity would not include any rental income from that organisation within their defined income. If you believe you have been overcharged, call PPL/ PRS Ltd to discuss, or contact us for advice.
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https://utility-aid.co.uk/
KEEPING WARM THIS WINTER The energy crisis and community buildings ACRE and Utility Aid have prepared advice to help volunteers who manage community buildings save energy and stay on top of energy bills. This briefing can be downloaded here. Utility Aid are also developing a scheme that will allow village halls to join together and make collective purchases of energy. Details will be announced once this is up and running. Read the latest blog from Utility Aid here.
Energy saving measures at your hall. Don't forget to look at our environmental resources for information on how to reduce energy consumption at your hall. Energy consultants, Inspired Efficiency, will be joining us at the Community Buildings Conference, providing 121 advice to anyone seeking technical support on how to make your hall more energy efficient.
Supporting your community with a 'Warm Welcome' Many venues are supporting local people this winter by setting up as a Warm Space. These are safe, warm places for people to meet up, take part in activities and access the support available. You can download our list of funding sources for Warm Spaces here. Spark Somerset are supporting the development of Warm Spaces. Register your interest here.
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HALLMARK 2022 Congratulations to all the hall committees that achieved Hallmark accreditation this year.
Hallmark accreditation encourages and rewards good practice in hall management. It reassures hall committees that they are up-
to-date and correct with their procedures and gives confidence to funders and insurers that the hall is professionally run.
ACRE have updated the criteria for Hallmark One and Two accreditation, with some additional requirements, such as
safeguarding training and an energy audit. You can download the new checklists from the members' area of the CCS website here. We will reopen for Hallmark applications in the New Year.
Join us as a Hallmark Volunteer Our volunteer Hallmark Visitors play a central role in ensuring high standards in these awards. We are looking for new volunteers to join our friendly team of Hallmark Visitors for 2023. Hallmark Visitors are either existing members of a hall management committee or people who have been closely involved with a hall committee in the past. A fantastic opportunity to share your knowledge and experience, visit village halls in other areas and meet new people. You may even pick up some good tips to take back to your own hall!
Top tip for Hallmark success Are you organising your AGM correctly? Mistakes with AGMs are some of the most common issues highlighted in Hallmark visits. Always conduct your AGM in accordance with your governing document. The AGM should be in, or close to, the month that is shown in your governing document. Annual accounts should be approved and signed by trustees at a meeting before their adoption at the AGM, or in accordance with the Trust Deed. Officer roles, (Chair, Treasurer, etc.), should be allocated at the first committee meeting after the AGM, not at the AGM itself, unless your governing document says otherwise.
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HALLMARK ONE Comeytrowe Community Hall Corton Denham Village Hall Curry Rivel Village Hall East Brent Village Hall North Newton Village Hall
HALLMARK TWO Blackford Reading Room Charlton Horethorne Village Hall Thurloxton Village Hall Wedmore Village Hall Woolavington Village Hall
HALLMARK THREE Caryford Community Hall Edington Village Hall Oake Village Hall Timberscombe Village Hall
OAKE AND DISTRICT VILLAGE HALL A Community Shop at the Village Hall
With the closure of many local shops, post offices, cafes and libraries, these services are increasingly hosted by village halls. The ACRE English Village and Community Hall Survey 2020 found that nearly 1 in 10 halls are now used as a venue for community businesses. When the lease for Oake and District Community Shop and Post Office ended, the Community Benefit Society managing the shop needed to find a new premises. They identified Oake and District Village Hall as the most sensible location, a proposal supported by the parish council and village hall committee. The village hall sits in a large plot with ample car parking, so a new building could be constructed without negatively impacting the hall’s services. Following a successful fundraising campaign, an extension was built onto the hall and the new shop opened its doors in August 2020.
This shared location has brought a number of benefits to both organisations. The shop gains from a larger, purpose built premises and car parking. The hall benefits from greater security, with the site in use throughout the day. Many shop customers also travel from the surrounding areas, leading to a wider recognition of the hall. During covid, hall visitors were able to buy hot drinks from the shop, reducing use of the hall kitchen, which helped keep everybody safe. The two organisations have shared costs for services, and jointly fundraised to develop a new pedestrian footpath across the site, avoiding the hazards of walking through the car park. Developing a close working partnership, and some ‘give and take’ from the two committees, has ensured that both organisations gain from this arrangement, maximising the benefits to the local community.
NB. The Charity Commission are keen to ensure that charities are able to modernise but also that hall management committees are aware of any financial risks, and that the provision of a service does not interfere with the running of the hall for public benefit. They may seek assurance that, where part of the hall will be used on a semi-permanent basis, the space is surplus to requirements; the hall has the power to let and that, if a purpose built extension or refurbishment is provided, a long-term view is taken. See Acre Information sheet 3 'Services in Village Halls' for more information.
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FUNDING NEWS BIFFA Award Grants of between £10,000 and £75,000 to improve community buildings, including refurbishments and internal works. The project site must be within 5 miles of a significant Biffa operation, or within 10 miles of an active Biffa Landfill site. Find out more here.
Somerset Community Foundation Warm Somerset Spaces Fund Grants of up to £1,000 for venues planning to stay open for longer this winter to offer a warm place for people in your community. Opening times should be extended by at least 5 hours a week over the colder months. Applications must be submitted by Friday 11th November. Click here for more information.
Asda Foundation Cost of Living Grant Grants of £500-£2,000 for local groups aimed at supporting increasing running costs this winter. This could be higher rent and electricity prices or increased food costs. The application window is open until February but will close as soon as the budget cap is reached. For more information click here.
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FUNDING NEWS Green Hall Foundation Grants of between £1,000-£10,000 for registered charities working to improve lives for the sick, elderly, disabled, and disadvantaged. Preference is given to appeals where the Foundation can meet a significant proportion of the funding required and where permanent equipment or building is required. Click here for more information.
Foyle Foundation Small Grants Scheme Grants of between £2-£10,000 for registered charities working at a local community level, in any field, across a wide range of activities. Grants can cover core costs, projects, essential equipment or building projects but are only valid for 12 months. Applications can be submitted at any time. For more information click here.
Festive Fund for Somerset Grants of up £400 to support groups that can help to reduce loneliness and spread warmth and cheer through food and activities around the festive period. You can use this money towards the cost of providing food and/or festive activities for isolated people between December and January. The application deadline is Friday 18th November. Find out more here.
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SOMERSET SOCIAL ENTERPRISE NETWORK Don't forget that as members of CCS you are also able to access the free training, networking and support available through the Somerset Social Enterprise Network
Employing Staff? Know your responsibilities Wednesday, November 16th, 10-11.30 am Book your place here
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COMMUNITY HALL CLIMATE ADAPTION WORKSHOP
Wondering how you can help protect your community space from extreme weather events? Climate change is happening now and extreme events are going to occur more frequently. Low lying land and along coastlines make Somerset particularly vulnerable. Village and community halls offer a unique ability to provide refuge and support for their local communities. Through a collaboration with both the Sedgemoor District Council and South Somerset District Council Environment Champions, you are invited to come along and learn about how to prepare your community space for the impacts of climate change such as flooding, storms and heat waves. With expert advice and a chance to network and learn about how other community spaces have already begun preparing for climate change. It will be an informative and inspiring morning! Open to Environment Champions, community hall committees, public space volunteers.
Free to attend Book your place here. 12
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SETTING UP A 100 CLUB
What is a 100 Club? A 100 club is a way of fundraising through a type of small-scale lottery. A number of village halls run these schemes in Somerset. It’s easy to set up and maintain. Members of the club or group buy numbered tickets which go into a draw – 100 tickets for a 100 club, 50 tickets for a 50 club etc. The tickets are randomly drawn and those holding the same numbered ticket win a prize. Many halls charge members between £12-15 per year with monthly, or bimonthly draws. The hall usually keeps 50% of the proceeds with the remainder given as prize money to one or more winners
The legalities Most 100 clubs are run as a private society lottery. This has 3 ingredients: Payment is required to enter the game There is always at least one prize Prizes are awarded purely on chance. Funds must be raised for a good cause, not for private or commercial gain. Rules set out in the Gambling Act 2005 must be followed but it is not necessary to obtain a licence from the Gambling Commission to run a private society lottery.
An alternative is to run it as a Small Society Lottery. This would require registration with the local licensing authority, who may wish to see a set of rules before considering an application. A licence from the Gambling Commission is not needed. A financial return must be submitted within three months of the latest draw. With a small society lottery, you can sell tickets to anyone aged 16 and over, not just those within the club/group
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SOMERSET INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTRES
Somerset’s Adult Social Care have recently relaunched our Independent Living Centres (SILCs). Our centres in Shepton Mallet and Wellington are now open for pre-booked appointments where people can talk to our Adult Social Care Occupational Therapy led team and try out equipment and technology to make daily living easier. Find out more here. The SILC Service is free for people to attend through booking an appointment on 0300 123 2224 or email adults@somerset.gov.uk We want to encourage people and their carers to book an appointment to attend. Our SILC’s are a key part of our prevention approach helping people to help themselves, either through us providing the equipment as part of their appointment or people purchasing items themselves to help make daily living easier. We have various free promotional material available for you to order from us to display. Please complete this form here. If you’re receiving the Community Buildings Newsletter it is because your facility is a subscribing member to CCS. We define this as a ‘legitimate interest’ and are processing your data. (i.e. storing your email address and using it to send out this newsletter) on this lawful basis. To find out how we use our personal information more generally see: https://ccslovesomerset.org/ccs-policies/ If you would like to opt-out of receiving future copies please use the unsubscribe button at the bottom of all our emails or contact info@somersetrcc.org.uk
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