ERIC THOMPSON CHARITABLE TRUST FOR ORGANISTS AND ORGAN MUSIC
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Charity no: 1026344
ERIC THOMPSON CHARITABLE TRUST FOR ORGANISTS AND ORGAN MUSIC
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
CONTENTS
Pages
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2 Legal and administrative information
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3-4 Report of the trustees
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5 Report of the examiner
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6 Statement of financial activities
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7 Balance sheet
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8 Notes forming part of the financial statements
Page 1
ERIC THOMPSON CHARITABLE TRUST FOR ORGANISTS AND ORGAN MUSIC
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Constitution
Eric Thompson Charitable Trust for Organists and Organ Music is a registered charity governed by its Charity Constitution.
Charity number 1026344 (registered 25 September 1993).
Trustees
The trustees serving during the year and since the year end except where indicated were as follows:
Mr Angus Baskerville Dame Glynne Evans DBE CMG PhD David Graham Colin Hamling Lieutenant General David Leakey CMG CVO CBE Peter Holder David Titterington
Principal office
67 King Harry Lane St Albans AL3 4AS
Examiner
R F Lander Cathkin Nelson Road Forres Moray IV36 1DR
Bankers
CAF Bank 25 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4TA
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ERIC THOMPSON CHARITABLE TRUST FOR ORGANISTS AND ORGAN MUSIC
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
The Trustees present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Legal and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) - (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), Update Bulletin 1.
Structure, Governance and Management
The charity is constituted under a trust deed dated 4th March 1993.
New Trustees are recommended by existing Trustees. Induction training is provided for all new Trustees, where appropriate, and all Trustees are encouraged to attend courses and conferences that would benefit them as Trustees. The Trustees have full investment powers and authority for the charity and investment decisions have been made in accordance with the Trustees wishes during the year. The Trustees manage the day-to-day operations of the charity. There has been no change of Trustees in the year.
Risk Policy
The Trustees have taken steps to identify the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and systems have been established to mitigate those risks.
Objectives and Activities
The main objectives of the Trust are to:
i) promote greater representation of the organ, its players and repertoire; ii) provide encouragement and support for young musicians, in particular organists, through grants for scholarships, summer schools, specialist lessons and composition.
Preference is usually given to students seeking assistance towards special projects, rather than continuing academic tuition.
In addition to the above grants, the Trust offers an annual award to fund a student in a project related to the organ such as research, composition or recordings.
The principal activities were the management of the assets of the charity to provide the above, through the giving of grants and a public event to support both the objectives and promote the Trust.
Transfer of reserved fund to Barbara Hill (as reported last year), to continue recitals dedicated to the memory of former Trust chairman the late John Hill, and the late Catherine Ennis, onetime Director of Music, St Lawrence Jewry, was completed .
The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commissions general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aim, objectives and future developments.
Achievements and Performance
The trust generated income of £24,816 for the General Fund during the year.
Significant donations were received from the estate of the late Mr. Cattrall (£40,000), and a further part payment from the estate of the late Richard Fisher (£13,000),
A loss of £1,930.92 was incurred for the John Hill - Catherine Ennis Restricted fund. This comprised the final payment to Barbara Hill as indicated above. This brought the value of the fund to zero, and the fund is now closed.
During the year the Trust made grants for the following purposes:
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Organ scholarships at Liverpool Bluecoat School
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Pipe-Up Devon Young Organists’ Training Scheme
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Specialist tuition and masterclasses
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Purchase of organ music scores
In November, the Trust promoted a recital within the Autumn series at the Guards Chapel, London, celebrating the installation of a new organ by Harrison & Harrison. The recital included works composed by Alain noting the publication of a new edition of his organ music, by Leduc of Paris, which the Trust has sponsored. The editor of the new edition is John-Baptiste Robin who gave this recital.
The Trust retains close links with the Royal Philharmonic Society, which continues to host the OrganTrust.org website.
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ERIC THOMPSON CHARITABLE TRUST FOR ORGANISTS AND ORGAN MUSIC
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES (Continued)
Grant making policy
The Trustees make grants to individuals and sometimes to charitable bodies. Such grants are made as and when considered appropriate and when funds permit. In the year the Trust made grants of £35,472 in pursuit of its objectives.
Financial review
The incoming resources used for the year are set out on page 6.
Reserves policy
The accumulated funds at 31 March 2025 were £302,852 relating to unrestricted funds. It is the policy of the Charity to maintain unrestricted funds, which are free reserves of the charity. This provides sufficient funds to cover Trust objectives as well as management and administration costs.
The Trustees’ policy is to place the resources of the trust in bank accounts and investment funds.
Plans for future years
Priority will be given to grant-making, scholarships and promoting organ music with events such as recitals.
Trustees’ Responsibilities in Relation to the Financial Statements
The Statement of recommended practice requires the trustees to prepare financial statements that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs on the charity at the end of the financial year and of its surplus or deficit for the financial year. In doing so the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2015 (FRS 102);
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any
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material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed.
They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Examiner
The examiner R F Lander will be proposed for re-appointment.
By order of the trustees:
Trustee and Clerk
20[th] January 2026
Colin Charles Hamling
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ERIC THOMPSON CHARITABLE TRUST FOR ORGANISTS AND ORGAN MUSIC
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Eric Thompson Charitable Trust for Organists and Organ Music (the Trust) for the year ended 31st March 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
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R F Lander Chartered Accountant Forres Moray
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ERIC THOMPSON CHARITABLE TRUST FOR ORGANISTS AND ORGAN MUSIC
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2025
| £ General Incoming Resources Note Donations 1 54,022.42 St Mary-le-Bow Recital Income - John Hill-Catherine Ellis Recital Series Income - Income Tax Refund (Gift Aid) 85.00 Bank and Gift Aid Interest 79.32 CAF Income Fund Interest 1,085.75 Donations to John Hill - Catherine Ellis Restricted Fund Schroder Investment Income 6,816.09 Events - 62,088.58 Outgoing Resources Grants 35,472.05 Printing and Postage - IT Costs 17.85 Loss on closure of CAF Investment 0.00 St Lawrence Jewry Recital Expenditure - John Hill Payments Room Hire - Sundry Expenses - Bank Charges 110.00 Events 1,672.12 Trustees Expenses - 37,272.02 Result for the Year 24,816.56 |
£ Restricted - - - 1,930.92 1,930.92 (1,930.92) 2025 |
£ £ Total Total 54,022.42 1,140.00 - - - 263.35 85.00 257.50 79.32 98.56 1,085.75 1,215.49 - 635.97 6,816.09 7,065.93 - 40.30 62,088.58 10,717.10 35,472.05 18,320.75 - 38.49 17.85 60.77 - 7,732.52 - - 1,930.92 12,992.30 - 150.00 - 38.49 110.00 63.40 1,672.12 10,850.56 - - 39,202.94 50,247.28 22,885.64 (39,530.18) 2024 |
|---|---|---|
Note 1 Includes legacies from the estate of the late Mr. Cattrall (£40,000), and a further part payment from the estate of the late Richard Fisher (£13,000),
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.
The notes on page 8 forms part of these financial statements.
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ERIC THOMPSON CHARITABLE TRUST FOR ORGANISTS AND ORGAN MUSIC
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
BALANCE SHEET
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Investments at Cost | Note | ||||
| Market Value | Market Value | ||||
| CAF Cautious Fund | 13,574.73 | 13,616.65 | 13,218.61 | 13,216.50 | |
| CAF Income & Growth Fund | 14,252.86 | 13,582.13 | 13,929.97 | 13,201.90 | |
| CAF Growth Fund | 14,194.73 | 13,477.07 | 13,912.78 | 13,171.70 | |
| Schroder Income Fund | 119,980.18 | 85,000.00 | 137,256.01 | 110,000.00 | |
| COIF Investment Fund | 150,425.22 | 105,000.00 | 153,474.02 | 105,000.00 | |
| 312,427.72 | 230,675.85 | 331,791.39 | 254,590.10 | ||
| Current Assets | |||||
| CAF Bank Account | 67,955.33 | 17,982.94 | |||
| Investment Income Receivable | 3,056.54 | 6,056.54 | |||
| Gift Aid Receivable | 85.00 | 257.50 | |||
| Prepayment | - | - | |||
| Paypal Account | 1,079.21 | 1,079.21 | |||
| Net Current Assets | 72,176.08 | 25,376.19 | |||
| Total Net Assets | 302,851.93 | 279,966.29 | |||
| Represented by | |||||
| General Fund | |||||
| Opening Balance | 278,035.37 | 305,597.57 | |||
| Result for the Year | 24,816.56 | (27,562.20) | |||
| Closing Balance | 302,851.93 | 278,035.37 | |||
| Restricted Fund | |||||
| Opening Balance | 1,930.92 | 13,898.90 | |||
| Result for the Year | (1,930.92) | (11,967.98) | |||
| Closing Balance | 0.00 | 1,930.92 | |||
| 302,851.93 | 279,966.29 |
Approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf by
Colin Charles Hamling DATE 20[th] January 2026 Trustee and Clerk
The notes on page 8 forms part of these financial statements.
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ERIC THOMPSON CHARITABLE TRUST FOR ORGANISTS AND ORGAN MUSIC
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Accounting Policies
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charity (SORP 2005), applicable accounting standards and in accordance with Charities Act 1993. The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:
Incoming Resources
Voluntary income
Voluntary income from donations for unrestricted purposes is included in incoming resources when this is receivable.
Investment income
Investment income is included when received by the charity.
Resources Expended
Resources expended are included in the Statement of Financial Activities on an accruals basis, inclusive of any VAT, which cannot be recovered.
Fund Accounting
Funds held by the charity comprise:
i) unrestricted funds held for the furtherance of the objectives of the charity, and: ii) a Restricted Fund for the John Hill Organ Series.
Investments
Investments are carried in the accounts at cost.
2. Staff and Trustees’ costs
Trustees’ remuneration was nil during the financial year.
There were no employees during the year.
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