Annual public meeting of Charity Committee delayed until November

The annual public meeting of Hastings Borough Council's Charity Committee has been delayed until 30 November because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the lockdown measures put in place by the government to tackle the spread of the virus, the council's external auditors have not been able to audit the accounts in time for the usual late September date of the meeting.

Cllr Margi O'Callaghan, Chair of the Charity Committee, said,

"Normally the council's Statement of Accounts are signed off by the council's external auditors, and a report presented to Audit Committee prior to the annual public meeting of the Charity Committee.

"The council, as trustee of the Foreshore Trust charity, cannot sign off the Trust's accounts until its own accounts have been signed off.

"The delay could not be helped and is just one more example of the impact of COVID-19."