THE SHOLLOND TRUST (Registered charity no. 1059551)
REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025
THE SHOLLOND TRUST
(Registered charity no. 1059551)
REPORT AND RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS For the year ended 31 December 2025
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CONTENTS
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| Page | |
|---|---|
| Legal and administrative information | 1 |
| Trustees' Report | 2 |
| Independent examiner's report | 4 |
| Receipts and payments account | 5 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 6 |
THE SHOLLOND TRUST
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS For the year ended 31 December 2025
| Trustees | John Hawkins (Chair) |
|---|---|
| Adam Lee (Treasurer) | |
| William Garside | |
| Judy Bruce (retired 11 March 2025) | |
| Colin Oliver | |
| Bob Shaw (retired 7 December 2025) | |
| Harry Boll | |
| Titiksha Golakoti | |
| Andy Wimbush (appointed 11 March 2025) | |
| Helena Grant (appointed 7 December 2025) | |
| Co-ordinator | Richard Lang |
| Charity reg. no. | 1059551 |
| Registered office | 87b Cazenove Road |
| London | |
| N16 6BB | |
| Telephone/fax | 0207 6868 752 |
| Web-site | www.headless.org |
| Independent examiner | Simon Erskine FCA FCIE DChA |
| 61 Mortimer Road | |
| London | |
| NW10 5QR | |
| Bankers | National Westminster Bank |
| 198 Stoke Newington High Street | |
| London | |
| N16 4GA | |
| Investment managers | Rathbone Investment Management Limited |
| 159 Bond Street | |
| London | |
| W1Y 9PA |
The Shollond Trust was established under a trust deed dated 9 November 1996 and was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 5 December 1996 under reference 1059551.
Its primary purpose is to promote the mental and moral wellbeing of the community by propagating and disseminating the teachings of Douglas Harding with the aim of realising the core teachings of the great religions.
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THE SHOLLOND TRUST
TRUSTEES' REPORT
For the year ended 31 December 2025
The Trustees submit their annual report and the Receipts and Payments accounts of The Shollond Trust for the year ended 31 December 2025.
The Receipts and Payments accounts have been prepared according to guidance from the Charity Commission.
Objects
The Trust is established to promote the mental and moral improvement of the community by propagating and disseminating the teachings of Douglas Harding with the aim of realising the core teaching of the great religions.
Structure, governance and management
The Trustees who served during the year and are serving currently are shown on page 1. The Trustees all give their time freely. The Trust is administered by the Co-ordinator, Richard Lang, who was appointed by the Trustees in November 1996 when it was formed. Richard's pay was £2,000 per month (plus expenses).
New Trustees are recruited, usually on the recommendation of the Co-ordinator, for their ability to make a contribution to the pursuit of the objects or the management of the Charity. They are appointed by resolution of the Trustees as laid down in the Trust Deed.
Review of activities and achievements
The policy of the Trust is to disseminate the ideas of Douglas Harding as widely as possible through publications, workshops and other appropriate media and channels.
Judy Bruce resigned as a Trustee. The Trustees express their deep gratitude to Judy for her service over many years, including her organising of many Gatherings.
Bob Shaw also resigned as a Trustee. The Trustees also expressed their gratitude to Bob for his many years of service.
The Trustees welcomed Andy Wimbush and Helena Grant on board as new Trustees. John Hawkins was elected as the new Chairperson, taking Judy Bruce’s place.
The Trust has succeeded in publishing three books into Chinese as well as books into German, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese.
The contents of the online Archive of material from the papers of Douglas Harding continues to be added to.
During 2025 the website continued to be an effective channel for facilitating exchange between the public and the Trust with many people corresponding with the Co-ordinator by email. Both the Trust's YouTube channel and its podcasts and its App are popular.
Zoom meetings continue to be popular with more than a dozen meetings happening each week. At the end of the year Richard Lang facilitated daily online meetings (called the Headless Café) between Christmas and New Year for the fourth year. Richard has continued to give online workshops during the year as well as workshops at home and elsewhere.
We also had a successful Salisbury Gathering this year with about 30 people attending each meeting. There was also a gathering in Holland (thanks to Karin Visser for organising it).
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THE SHOLLOND TRUST
TRUSTEES' REPORT
For the year ended 31 December 2025
Special thanks to Sam and Mary Blight for their endlessly generous help––managing the website, designing books, and much more.
The Shollond Trust continues to fulfil its purpose of disseminating the ideas of Douglas Harding.
When planning our activities for the year, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
Financial review
The Trust receives monies predominantly from the sale of books, videos etc. and from donations. Full details of the receipts and payments for the year are given on page 5.
The Endowment fund represents a portfolio of shares gifted to the Trust during 1997 on the understanding that the income could be used for its general purposes. The Settlor of the fund has given permission for the capital to be utilised at the discretion of the Trustees and in practice the excess of amounts withdrawn from the portfolio over the investment income less investment management fees is transferred each year from the Endowment fund to the General fund. At the year end the assets of the Endowment fund was comprised entirely of investments.
The Trust does not have a formal reserves policy because the endowment is expendable and so there is no concern over its going concern status.
Related party transactions
Trustees do not receive any remuneration or reimbursed expenses. The Co-ordinator receives amounts from the Trust, as shown in the Receipts and Payments Account, for his fees as Co-ordinator, and for office heat and light for his office at home.
Independent examiner
The Charity's independent examiner, Simon Erskine FCA FCIE DChA, has indicated his willingness to continue in office and offers himself for re-appointment.
This report was approved by the Trustees on 13 May 2026 and signed on their behalf by:
John Hawkins
John Hawkins
Chair
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE SHOLLOND TRUST
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Shollond Trust for the year ended 31 December 2025 which are set out on pages 5 and 6.
This report is made solely to the Trustees, as a body, in accordance with regulations made under section 154 of the Charities Act 2011. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Trustees matters I am required to state to them in an Independent Examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Trustees for my independent examination work, for this report, or for the statement I have given below.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 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 matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
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.
Simon Erskine FCA FCIE DChA
61 Mortimer Road London NW10 5QR
13 May 2026
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Charity Name No The Shollond Trust 1059551 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 1 January 2025 31 December 2025
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Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£
A1 Receipts
Sale of books, videos etc.. 22,313 - - 22,313 30,046
Summer Gathering income 18,295 18,295 -
Workshops 5,172 5,172 -
Donations 9,019 9,019 19,225
Gift Aid claim received 177 177 -
Royalties 1,941 1,941 1,135
Sub total (Gross income for
- - 56,917 50,406
AR) [ 56,917 ]
A2 Asset and investment sales,
etc.
Sales of investments 65 - - 65 30,100
Sub total 65 - - 65 30,100
Total receipts 56,982 - - 56,982 80,506
A3 Payments
Co-ordinator's fees 24,000 - - 24,000 24,000
Workshops 3,912 3,912 -
Zoom webinars 301 301 416
Summer Gathering 14,956 14,956 -
Internet, postage, telephone 1,702 1,702 1,518
Printing, scanning and stationery 195 195 1,958
Office light and heat 600 600 600
Cost of books, videos etc.. 9,980 9,980 38,473
Miscellaneous 370 370 11
Website work 1,429 1,429 543
Computer and equipment 2,320 2,320 2,003
Investment management fees - - 65 65 100
Independent examination fees 1,190 - - 1,190 1,040
Sub total 60,955 - 65 61,020 70,662
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, etc.
Purchases of investments - - - - -
- - -
Computer, equipment and furniture
Sub total - - - - -
Total payments 60,955 - 65 61,020 70,662
Net of receipts/(payments) (3,973) - (65) (4,038) 9,844
A5 Transfers between funds (65) - 65 - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 20,615 - - 20,615 10,771
Cash funds this year end 16,577 - - 16,577 20,615
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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | Endowment | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | Details | funds | funds | funds | ||
| B1 Cash funds | Bank account Investment manager's capital account Cash |
to nearest £ 17,640 5 (1,068) |
to nearest £ - - - |
to nearest £ - - - |
||
| Total cash funds | 16,577 | - | - | |||
| (agree balances with receipts and payments | ||||||
| account(s)) | OK | OK | OK | |||
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | ||||
| funds | funds | funds | ||||
| B2 Other monetary assets | Details Gift Aid debtor |
to nearest £ 722 - - - - - |
to nearest £ - - - - - - |
to nearest £ - - - - - - |
||
| B3 Investment assets | Details Investments with Rathbones excluding cash |
Fund to which asset belongs Endowment fund - |
Cost (optional) 27,342 - |
Current value (optional) 27,240 - |
||
| B4 Assets retained for the | Details Office furniture, |
computer and other | Fund to which asset belongs Unrestricted funds |
Cost (optional) - |
Current value (optional) - |
|
| charity’s own use | equipment | - - - - - - - - |
- - - - - - - - |
|||
| Fund to which | Amount due | When due | ||||
| B5 Liabilities | Details Accrued independent examination fee |
liability relates Unrestricted |
(optional) 1,250 - - - |
(optional) | ||
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Signature John Hawkins Adam Lee |
Print Name John Hawkins, Chair Adam Lee, Treasurer |
Date of approval 13/05/2026 13/05/2026 |
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