THE CLAYMIL L S PUMPING ENGINES T R UST LTD.
COM P ANY REGISTERED IN ENGLAND NO 2871763 CHARITY NO 1030331
A nnual Report & Accounts
for the year ending
31[st] December 2025
Registered Office:
The C laymills Pumping Engines Trust Limited Meadow Lane, Stretton, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE13 0DA Tel: (01283) 509929 Web: www.claymills.org.uk
Bankers:
Barclays Bank Plc
Legal and Administrative Information
Organisation of the Charity
The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 15[th] November 1993 and registered as a charity on 14[th] December 1993.
The company was established under a Memorandum of Association, which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. Under those articles, members of the Board of Directors are elected at each AGM.
Directors
The following persons served as Directors and Trustees during the period:
Mr Andrew Parsons - Chairman Mr John Cooper – Secretary Mr John Reeve – Treasurer Miss Alice Brierley - appointed 9[th] August 2025 Mr Jamie Fisher - appointed 9[th] August 2025 Mr John Ford Mr John Freeman Mr Derek Goodman Mr Stephen Goodman Mr Clive Haffenden Mr Geoff Sherratt Mr Ian Yates
Objects of the Charity
To promote and preserve for the benefit of the public the nineteenth century Claymills Pumping Station complex including all buildings, engines and equipment therein situate at Meadow Lane, Stretton, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
Charity Funds
The funds of the Charity are administered by the Board to meet the objectives of the Charity. Sufficient funds are retained to ensure that the Charity can continue to meet its objectives. Funds not immediately required are deposited in a COIF Charity Deposit Fund.
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Activities and Achievements
Introduction
This is the Directors’ Annual Report for Claymills Pumping Engines Trust for the period 1[st] January 2025 to 31[st] December 2025, the Trust’s 32[nd] year of operation.
This report constitutes a summary of the Trust’s activities and achievements related to its stated objectives which are 'to preserve Claymills Pumping Station and open it to the public as a heritage attraction'.
As previously, this report covers the four areas as follows:-
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Management activities.
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Finances, Fundraising and Marketing.
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Operating the site as a public museum/heritage attraction.
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Restoration and maintenance activities.
1. Management activities.
The Trust continues to operate a Strategy Board and an Operational Board in order to focus on these different aspects of managing a charitable Trust. Board members are free to attend either or both meetings and both Boards are chaired by the Chairman of the Trust and each takes place approximately monthly. The Main Trust Board meeting includes the operational board issues and meets every quarter and in total the number of meetings held during 2025 were as follows: -
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Strategy Board – Nil (see following)
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Operational Board –7 Occasions
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Main Trust Board – 4 Occasions
The Operational Board focuses on ensuring that the Trust operates on a day-to-day basis and encompasses issues such as management of volunteers, events planning and operation, maintenance and safety. The Strategy Board focus is on issues such as compliance, fundraising and policy and process issues and in particular for 2025, fundraising, design and compliance with regulations relating to the new visitor centre – these items were handled on a more informal basis during 2025 with face to face short meetings, phone calls and e-mails to progress the major projects.
The Strategy and Operational Board meetings take place virtually via Zoom and this continues to work well. The quarterly meetings of the Main Trust Board take place ‘in person’ at Claymills and, as always, we remind Members that all Board meetings are open for any member to attend should they so wish – please ask for the Zoom link to the meeting you wish to attend or attend in person for the quarterly ‘on site’ meetings of the main board.
A key role of the Board is to ensure that the Trust remains compliant with UK law, for example with regard to Health and Safety, to Heritage England due to the site’s Grade II* listing, and to maintaining our archive and collection as required by the conditions of our museum’s registration and on this point it is pleasing to note that in 2025 we achieved re-accreditation as a Registered Museum. This was no small task and our thanks go to all who were involved.
Importantly, the Trust works in partnership with our landlords, Severn Trent Water (STW). One aspect of this is an annual health and safety audit carried out by STW health and safety professionals. Another important discussion which takes place at 6-monthly intervals is to review progress regarding their role, as landlords, to repair and maintain our Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings. These meetings with STW are open and fruitful, and we thank STW and their officers for their continued support to the Trust.
The Trust continues to have dedicated sub-groups for specific purposes such as the Museums Accreditation sub-group, the Events sub-group, and the Archive Team, outcomes and actions from which feed into the appropriate Board meetings.
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The Trust’s Annual General Meeting was held on the 9[th] August 2025 at the Pumping Station with over 20 members in attendance. As always, the Chairman presented the annual report and the Treasurer presented the accounts. In accordance with the constitution, half the directors stood down and were subsequently reelected, and the three officers of the Trust, Andrew Parsons (Chairman), John Reeve (Treasurer) and John Cooper (Secretary), were re-elected unopposed.
Sadly, two of our Director Trustees, Steve Goodman and John Freeman, have stated their intention to stand down at the 2026 AGM, but will be continuing as volunteers. Our thanks go to both Steve and John for their sterling work over the years. As a result, we need to cover their roles of Membership Secretary, Fundraising and Museums Accreditation lead going forward. Obviously, these are vital tasks and we urgently wish to fill these posts. We are also losing our bookshop volunteer, Jan Dingley, as she is moving out of the area and our thanks go to Jan for all of her hard work to sort out and organise the bookshop, which is now a significant fund raiser.
The majority of our board members, like John Freeman and Steve Goodman, are getting older and we can expect more retirements from the older board members over the coming few years. It is vitally important for people to step forward and take on roles as directors and the board request that all Members of the Trust consider whether they would serve in a director role, or take on roles such as Membership as a co-opted member.
By the year-end, membership of the Trust was 338, a decrease on last year which was 355 in 2024.
2. Finances, Fundraising and Marketing
The Trust’s policy of conservative and careful financial management, which includes the retention of one year's ‘running costs’ (£25,000) for reaction to an emergency situation continues. This ‘reserve’ value has not been increased over time and hence a decision was made to increase the size of the reserve to £40,000 and this has been actioned during 2025. The Trust also continues to take advantage of Gift Aid – whilst an onerous task to claim, gift aid in 2025 was worth over £9,500 to the Trust.
As reported in the accounts, the Trust once again achieved a balance of income over expenses of circa £11,865.
In 2024, and as reported at the last AGM, we secured a number of grants totalling circa £200,000, most of which were promised monies for activities to be carried out in 2025 and which as yet will not show wholly or partially in the accounts as in many cases funds are held by the grant provider and we draw down on these fund values against invoice and records of work and this draw down of grant aid took place as planned during 2025. As a result, little in the way of gaining grant aid took place in 2025 as major projects were already funded and no new major projects requiring grant funding are on the horizon.
As mentioned, the Living Van book shop also generates significant funds and the Trust also generates an income stream from use of our car park for football coach parking.
As you can see, the Trust’s finances continue to be well managed and our thanks go to our Treasurer, John Reeve, for his continued work to manage our finances.
3. Operating the site as a visitor attraction
After a bumper year in 2024, 2025 visitor numbers and attendance at events during 2025 were down in comparison. In 2025, our visitor numbers were 4,332 in comparison with 2024 numbers of 4,979. Our advertising method is unchanged and continues to focus on social media articles and physical visits with our stand to large ‘steam related’ events. Our thanks go to those members who support such visits and who update social media.
All of the 2025 steaming events were ‘normal’ 2-day events and were well attended, and as always well supported by a wide range of groups and individuals who willingly and at no cost bring large heritage engineering items to the site to be placed on display, for example full size and scale traction engines, and vintage cars. We continue to commission and advertise special add-on activities such as Professor Pumpernickel, the Tammy Land Girls, and the National Fire Service which have all proved popular with visitors. In addition to our main steaming events, other events took place such as a Land-Rover Day. Such non-steaming events support our objectives (as the site can also be viewed in static condition) and help build networks and future visitors to steaming events. The site also opened for Heritage Open Days (‘Claymills by
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Night’) which we will continue to support but numbers through the gate for this national initiative continue to be small. The Trust continues to support the Claymills Classic Car Club who hold meetings on site approximately monthly and whose members often display their vehicles free of charge at the Trust’s various events.
We continue to advertise and promote the work of Claymills through published articles (for example, Vintage Sprint) and through talks to a variety of groups (such as the Rolleston Civic Society)
The Archive Team has now completed a Working Machines and Engines Inventory which, for the first time, records and makes available general and technical information about all our machines and engines. This, alongside the on-line catalogue, makes information about our collections available to the public in line with best museum practice.
4. Restoration and maintenance activities
The site is restored, maintained and operated by a team of unpaid volunteer Trust members who undertake all of the work on the site, which is open for volunteers to attend on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, plus of course additional days due to preparation for events. Friday working by the Archive team also continues and we welcome any other members who may wish to support this important and interesting work. The Trust has no paid employees.
During 2024/2025, extensive works were undertaken by STW to the woodwork of A/B Engine House, the Feed Pump House, the Victorian Workshop and the Agitator House, including elements such as doors and windows, and also works to replace the boiler house roof and associated internal guttering. These works were undertaken using specialist contractors and the work was done to a high standard.
Further major work funded by STW is scheduled for the remainder of the ‘office’ side of the site and to C/D engine house with dates to be determined but likely to be 2027 start.
The 2025 volunteer hours totalled some 13,726 recorded hours, a decrease on last year and a figure which suffers from an amount of under-recording. Added to this should be the hours spent by the various directors regarding preparation and attendance to meetings, fundraising and so on, which totals some 1,200 hours giving a total of around 15,000 hours. This is a good number – equivalent to around 1,923 person-days or 8.4 full time staff. Volunteer hours can, in some cases, be used as match funding for grant aid so it is imperative that we record all volunteer hours and we ask all volunteers to log their hours as accurately as possible.
The work of volunteers is co-ordinated by nominated Area Managers all of whom are directors, with a director coordinating all volunteer activity, and a director responsible for site health and safety for volunteers and the public. There are arrangements for formal induction, training and supervision of volunteers. The buildings, infrastructure, boiler, steam systems and engines receive maintenance as required to allow for the functioning of the site and to meet legal and health and safety requirements.
Highlights of 2025 included the continuing running of all four beam engines and the significant progress of the major ‘Boiler 1’ project, as well as commencing the major project of the new visitor entrance building (see Fixed Assets note 4 addition of £134,331) – we look forward to these projects completing during 2026. As always, much maintenance work to various engines and equipment has taken place and whilst it is not possible to list all activities carried out, we recognise as ever the efforts of our dedicated band of volunteers.
This concludes the annual report for 2025 – another successful year where progress was made in many areas. In summary, we continue to ensure that Claymills thrives in terms of equipment, infrastructure, finances and compliance, and of course both volunteers and visitors. 2026 will see some major steps forward in terms of completion of major projects, and the support of our members and volunteers will, as always, be vital to our continued achievement of our objectives.
Prepared 27[th] April 2026 by A Parsons on behalf of the board of directors of CPET.
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Financial position
The Statement of Financial Activities is set out on the pages that follow. The net result for the year was an increase in charity funds of £132,766.
Total funds of the Charity at 31[st] December 2025 were £359,390.
Post balance sheet events
None.
Statement of Trustees Responsibilities
The Trustees as directors of the charitable company are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the accounts in accordance with applicable law and the United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare accounts for each financial year that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the surplus or deficit of the charitable company for that year. In preparing those accounts, the Trustees are required to:
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Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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Prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The Trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
This report was approved by the board on 27[th] May 2026 and was signed on its behalf by:
Andrew Parsons, Chairman, Trustee Director
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Independent Examiner’s Report on the Accounts of
Th e Claymills Pumping Engines Trust Ltd
For the year ended 31[st] December 2025
I report on the accounts that are se t out following this report.
Respective responsibilities of directors and examiner
The charity’s directors are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The cha r ity’s directors consider that an audit is not required for th e year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2 0 11 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination i s needed.
Having satisfied myself that the c h arity is not subject to audit under company law a nd is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under s e ction 145 of the 2011 Act;
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to follow the procedures laid d own in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 A ct; and
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to state whether particular mat t ers have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
My examination was carried out i n accordance with the general Directions given b y the Charity Commission. An examination incl u des a review of the accounting records kept by t h e charity and a comparison of the accounts prese n ted with those records. It also includes considera t ion of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees conce r ning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required i n an audit and consequently no opinion is given a s to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in t he statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examinatio n , no matter has come to my attention:
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which gives me reasonable c ause to believe that in any material respect the r e quirements: • to keep accounting recor d s in accordance with section 386 of the Compan i es Act 2006; and
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to prepare accounts whic h accord with the accounting records, comply wi t h the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and with the met h ods and principles of the Statement of Recommen d ed Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Chari t ies have not been met;
OR
- to which, in my opinion, att e ntion should be drawn in order to enable a prop e r understanding of the accounts to be reached.
| Signed | Date | June 4th2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Brian E. Kea tes |
||
| Address | 29 Rose Lane Newhall Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 0LN |
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Statement of Financial Activities
For the year ending 31[st] December 2025
| Income and Expenses Account Note Income Operation of the Pumping Station 6 Grants and restricted donations 7 Bank Interest Total Income Expenses Cost of operation of the Pumping Station 8 Managing and administering the charity 9 Total Expenses Excess of income over expenses Funds brought forward at 1stJan 2025 Funds carried forward at 31stDec 2025 |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total 2024 54,508 54,508 62,209 540 161,873 162,413 2,989 4,176 4,176 3,932 |
|---|---|
| £59,224 £161,873 £221,097 £69,130 |
|
| 45,994 40,972 86,966 54,440 1,365 1,365 4,412 |
|
| £47,359 £40,972 £88,331 £58,852 |
|
| 11,865 120,901 132,766 10,278 144,544 82,080 226,624 216,346 |
|
| £156,409 £202,981 £359,390 £226,624 |
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Balance Sheet
At 31[st] December 2025
| Fixed Assets Current Assets Shop + Stationery Stock Cash in Hand Cash at Bank Coal & Biomass Debtors & Pre-payments Current Liabilities Creditors less than 1 year Net current Assets Funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Note 4 2 3 |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds 90,323 140,097 6,184 172 1,010 42,983 54,587 11,460 4,532 8,525 Total 2024 230,420 100,962 6,356 7,178 1,010 1,037 97,570 102,090 11,460 12,255 13,057 3,146 |
|---|---|
| £156,492 £203,381 £ 359,873 £226,668 |
|
| (83) (400) (483) (44) |
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| £156,409 £202,981 £ 359,390 £226,624 |
|
| £156,409 - £ 156,409 £144,546 |
|
| - £202,981 £ 202,981 £82,078 |
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| £156,409 £202,981 £ 359,390 £226,624 |
For the year ending 31[st] Decembe r 2025, The Claymills Pumping Engines Trust Lt d . was entitled to exemption from audit under sectio n 477 of the Companies Act 2006.
The members have not required th e company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The directors acknowledge their r e sponsibility for complying with the requirement s of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the p reparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepare d in accordance with the small company regime (Section 419(2) of the Companies Act 2006).
These accounts were approved b y the board on 27[th] May 2026 and were sig n ed on its behalf by:
J.C.Reeve, Treasurer, Trustee D irector
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Notes to the Accounts
1 Accounting Policies
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention using the accruals basis and are in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice Accounting for Charities.
The Trust is not registered for VAT and expenses include VAT where applicable.
Fixed Assets
Ownership of the site, buildings, plant and machinery lies with Severn Trent Water Limited and are not disclosed within these accounts. Other historic assets do not represent a true value as they include many gifted items. The reader of these accounts should appreciate the undisclosed aspect of the inventory which arises and which remains a difficult judgement of value.
Historic assets have not been depreciated on the basis that they will only appreciate. Following the lease agreement with STW and the passing of ownership of historic engines & equipment, these assets have been reclassified and will be depreciated over the remaining term of the lease. The lease agreement is for 60 years, which commenced in October 2013 on a peppercorn rent.
Fixed assets are depreciated according to the following table.
| NewBuildings | 4.0% |
|---|---|
| Modern Tools & Machinery | 12.5% |
| Office & ShopEquipment | 20.0% |
| Leasehold Property | Remainingterm of the lease(1.67%) |
Expenses
All restoration costs at the Claymills site are written off as incurred. Water and electricity costs are borne by Severn Trent Water.
| 2 Debtors & Pre-payments Gift Aid Pre-payments 3 Creditors Other creditors |
2025 1,581 11,476 2024 461 2,685 |
|---|---|
| £13,057 £3,146 |
|
| 2025 483 2024 44 |
|
| £483 £44 |
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| 4 Tangible Fixed Assets Cost: Brought Forward Additions Disposals Balance c/f Depreciation: Brought Forward Charge Disposals Balance c/f Net Book Value: At 1stJanuary 2025 At 31stDecember 2025 |
Total Leasehold Property Historic Engines & Machinery Modern Tools & Machinery Office & Shop Equipment New Buildings 171,072 143,786 0 3,259 437 0 0 21,887 8,772 0 29,418 683 0 116,071 134,331 0 |
|---|---|
| £314,858 £3,259 £437 £30,659 £30,101 £250,402 |
|
| (70,110) (14,328) 0 (2,108) 0 0 0 0 0 (15,440) (2,793) 0 (24,209) (1,519) 0 (28,353) (10,016) 0 |
|
| £(84,438) £(2,108) 0 £(18,233) £(25,728) £(38,369) |
|
| £100,962 £1,151 £437 £6,447 £5,209 £87,718 |
|
| £230,420 £1,151 £437 £12,426 £4,373 £212,033 |
5 Transactions involving Trustees
None
| 6 Incoming resources from the operation of the Pumping Station Subscriptions & Donations Open Day Takings Shop Takings |
2025 16,840 22,860 14,808 2024 18,767 27,563 15,879 |
|---|---|
| £54,508 £62,209 |
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7 Unrestricted Grants
2025
2024
| AIM | 204 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Staffordshire Borough Council | 400 | |||
| West Midlands Museum Development | 540 | |||
| £540 | £604 | |||
| Restricted Grants & Donations | ||||
| Operational Grant Income | ||||
| Trent & Dove Community Association | 500 | |||
| Association for Industrial Archaeology | 30,000 | |||
| East Midlands Airport Low Carbon Energy Fund | 5,198 | |||
| Capital Grant Income | ||||
| East Midlands Airport Community Fund | 1,885 | |||
| STW Community Fund | 48,600 | |||
| East Staffordshire Ward Enhancement Program | 37,500 | |||
| East Staffordshire Community Regeneration Fund | 10,000 | |||
| Stretton Parish Council | 2,000 | |||
| Donations | 28,575 | |||
| £161,873 | £2,385 | |||
| 8 | Cost of operation of the Pumping Station | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 |
| Unrestricted | Restricted | |||
| Funds | Funds | |||
| Restoration of Claymills site | 5,377 | 21,365 | 6,679 | |
| Shop Stock | 6,907 | 5,176 | ||
| Insurance | 175 | 2,983 | 2,798 | |
| Advertising | 1,223 | 74 | 1,820 | |
| Education & Children’s Activities | 974 | 651 | ||
| Operating Expenses | ||||
| Running site in steam | 2,017 | 8,644 |
3,696 | |
| Other | 9,195 | 477 | 9,366 | |
| Coal & Biomass | 13,227 | 16,470 | ||
| Depreciation & Amortisation | 6,899 | 7,429 | 7,784 | |
| £47,359 | £40,972 | £54,440 | ||
| 9 | Managing & administering the charity | 2025 | 2024 | |
| Postage & Stationery | 405 | 574 | ||
| Legal & Professional fees | 2,404 | |||
| Office & Administration costs | 960 | 1,434 | ||
| £1,365 | £4,412 |
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