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← The Friends Of Thornton

2024-08-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date

Period end date

From

01 09 2023 To 31 08 2024

Section A Reference and administration details

FRIENDS OF THORNTON

Charity name Other names charity is known by FoTS Registered charity number (if any) 1064059

Charity's principal address THORNTON COLLEGE THORNTON MILTON KEYNES Postcode MK17 0HJ

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0		 Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for whole
year		 Name of person (or body) entitled
to appoint trustee (if any)
Helen Hircock Chair of Trustees
Melanie Bateman Secretary
Jennifer Walker
Mia Bloomfield
Suzanne Brown
Sarah Winkelman Chair of Executive
Committee
Jonathan Heap Treasurer

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address
Bank Natwest Units 164-166, Midsummer Arcade, Central Milton
Keynes. MK9 3BA

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

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Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Constitution adopted 9[th] November 1996

How the charity is constituted

Trustee selection methods

Trustees are appointed or reappointed annually at the Annual General meeting held in the Michaelmas Term, usually September/October

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

Friends of Thornton welcomes staff, parents and families of the college to their Executive Committee and to volunteer at fundraising events.

The Charity follows the College’s Child protection and Safeguarding policies. Criminal Records Bureau checks are carried oud out on Trustees in line with statutory requirements. and they also receive safeguarding training from the school to enable them to wear a grey lanyard in the College. Anyone who has not completed training will wear a red lanyard.

Friends of Thornton is supported by college staff at events, particularly the Summer Fete. The Charity have use of two rooms at the college – one for storage of equipment and one to run the Nearly New Uniform Shop.

All trustees and members of the executive committee give their time voluntarily and received no renumeration or other benefits.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

To advance the education of the children and young people attending Thornton College, in particular by providing and assisting with the provision of books, equipment, buildings and other items and facilities at the college which may not otherwise be provided.

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During the year the objectives of the Charity have been maintained through the good work of the Executive Committee and other volunteer supporters. Throughout the year the trustees have paid due regards to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.

In planning the activities for the year, the Executive Committee kept in mind the need to ensure funds are used to benefit all ages and departments at the school, without showing bias or favour to one area of learning.

The main fundraising activities of the year have been:

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

these activities generate funds and have benefitted the children and young persons at the College. These events have benefitted the students by providing opportunities for the students to volunteer, help run stalls and make things to sell.

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

The Trustees are very grateful for the many hours volunteers, including fellow trustees and members of the Executive Committee have spent working with the College community to raise funds for the benefit of the students. Without this valuable contribution of time, energy and expertise, we would not have been able to achieve so much this past year.

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

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Section D Achievements and performance

Chair Report 2023 – 2024 Summary of the main achievements of the charity Well, what a fantastic year! I have greatly enjoyed this year as Chair of during the year Friends of Thornton and the team that has been assembled is an absolute dream team of the highest order.

The academic year started with the Fireworks evening which posed our biggest challenge to date given the severe adverse weather warning. In true Thornton style, we showed grit and determination and held our nerve. We were rewarded with good enough weather with low winds and the fireworks went off without a hitch, it only started raining just as the display started luckily! Numbers were very good for the event and I eel that the display by Frontier Fireworks was the best on we’ve ever had.

The Christmas Market soon followed, and this was one of our finest events. A great turnout and some superb additions to the line-up (including Santa’s Grotto being relocated to the Outside Classroom and the Café being open for hot drinks) meant this was a great success. We held our first Quiz under the Quizmaster / Head of Grounds Chris Mayhew which we sold all tabled for. This raised reasonable funds given it was not too heavy an outlay for volunteers. I would highly recommend repeating this event this year, perhaps on a Friday or Saturday to allow for more attendees. In particular, the style of quiz was very popular, and the food arranged by Harrisons was excellent with an opportunity for parents to experience catering that the girls rave about!

The Easter Egg Trail was the busiest we have ever had with mostly good weather minus the hailstorm! This is a great marketing tool for the school and is mostly aimed at Prep age children and younger. Over 200 children attended this event, we even had to do a last-minute dash to buy more Easter eggs! The café worked well again for this especially as a start and finish point as we made great income from the hot and cold drinks alongside the barbecue supplied by Harrisons.

Finally, the Summer Fete was out biggest event of the year and a great way to finish. Over 2000 people attended and we raised the second highest amount of money in the past ten years, partly due to a much lower cost outlay this time. We welcomed alpacas, ponies, fairground rides and lots of new stalls this time.

We have used our funds very wisely this year with some great new additions including the following:

The fortnightly planning meetings and monthly Tuesday evenings worked well in order to allow every member of Friends of Thornton an opportunity to broach new ideas and discuss how to improve current and future

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Section D Achievements and performance

events.

The Nearly New shop had once again this year raised significant funds through the sale of nearly new school uniform items donated by parents of current students. The team (including Jane, Gemma, Taiwo, Abbie and others) have worked tirelessly this year to ensure great quality items of clothing are available at very reasonable prices. I only ever hear such positive comments about the Shope – the opening hours, dry cleaning, the ease of finding items and the actual set-up itself are all testament to such dedication by the team there. I was approached by three different people at our last event all saying how friendly and helpful the staff in the Shop are and how it affirmed their decision that they’d picked the right school for their daughter! They have raised great funds again this year as we are finding more and more people turn to the Shop first before looking to purchase new.

Moving forward, we are awaiting a number of proposals from the School Committee and will look to discuss these in further detail. I believe that we should run the same set of events that we have done this year, provided the team feel this is manageable. They have become firm fixtures in the diary for staff, parents and children alike.

Unfortunately, due to a relocation away from Thornton, I have decided to step down as Chair of Friends of Thornton. I am thrilled to announce that Sadie Staten who has two daughters in the Prep department of the school will be taking over as Chair with Muncelle Dunn supporting her as Vice-Chair. I have complete trust that they will continue to take Friends of Thornton to the next level with fundraising while executing fantastic events to benefit the girls and wider community. I am deeply sad to be leaving but will of course still attend and help with all the events and meet regularly with the group as I feel such a deep sense of community with the team. I have been made to feel so welcome over these past few years and so well supported. Let’s have a great 2024 -2025 academic year!

Sarah Winkelman

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Section E Financial review ~~ee~~

Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves

The Executive Committee have determined that a reserve of £5000 is required in order to enable it to “forward fund” events, particularly the annual summer fete.

Beyond this, the Executive Committee try to ensure that available funds are committed to appropriate projects at an early date, and therefore invest surplus funds ion a temporary basis with the Charity’s bankers.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

Not applicable

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

The Trustees consider the biggest risk to the Charity is the failure of the Summer Fete, which is the principal fundraising activity of the year.

As the Trustees do not make forward binding commitments to the college, the shortfall in income for the year would be balanced by a compensating adjustment in future support given to the College.

~~ee~~ Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration ~~ee~~ The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s)

Suzanne Brown Full name(s) Helen Hircock Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chairperson Trustee etc) ~~ee~~ Date 23 April 2025 ~~FP~~

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THE FRIENDS OF THORNTON

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 AUGUST 2024

Incoming resources - actvites for generatng funds
Fete
Christmas Fayre
Nearly New Shop
Quiz Night
Centenary Teas
Northbrook Gif Wrap
Hoedown
Donatons Received
Fireworks
Disco
Easter
Total - actvites for generatng funds
Cost of generatng funds
Fete Expenses
Fireworks
Centenary Teas and Champagne
Outstanding Fete Expenses from previous year
Christmas Fayre
Quiz
Hoedown
Nearly New Shop Purchases & Expenses
Easter
Leavers' Ball
Net Fund Raising Income
Governance and other resources expended
Postage, statonery & other administraton costs
Boarders Day
Independent Examinaton of Accounts
Insurance
General Expenses
Bank Charges
invoices owed to Thornton
Depreciaton of Equipment
Net surplus on generatng funds
Investment Income
Bank interest received
Other Income (Scotsh Widows transfer)
Less: Expenditure on Charitable Actvites
Donatons to Thornton College
Donaton to Police Dog Charity
Donatons to Syria (Sister Helen)
Net (defcit)/surplus for the year		 £
2,560
6,909
270
350
4,141
200
14,430
26,461
-
-
-
153
93
-
-
120
37,220
1,000
-		 2024
£
12,146
7,274
11,773
1,060
5
7,235
1,398
40,892
366
26,095
38,220
- 12,124		 £
8,653
4,212
885
1,754
1,701
540
128
2,548
1,209
1,000
-		 2023
£
11,327
4,028
12,446
5,543
2,088
35,432
17,206
18,226
4,425
13,801
1,000
12,801

-3-

THE FRIENDS OF THORNTON

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 AUGUST 2024

Notes
Fixed Assets
Tangible Assets
1
Current Assets
Stock (Nearly New Shop)
Stock (held over from Fete)
Debtors - Fund Raising Actvites
Prepayments - Leavers Ball
Cash at Bank and in Hand
Total Current Assets
Current Liabilites
Creditors
Accruals (Christmas Fayre Stall Fees)
Total Liabilites
Net Current Assets
Total Assets
Represented by:-
Unrestricted funds of the charity
As at 1 September 2023
Retained (defcit)/surplus for the year
As at 31 August 2024		 £
33,879
33,879
450
450		 2024
£
978
33,429
34,408
46,532
- 12,124
34,408		 £
45,884
45,884
450
450		 2023
£
1,098
45,434
46,532
32,130
14,402
46,532

The accounts were approved by the Trustees on ……………………….. and signed on their behalf by:-

……………………………………. …………………………………….
Helen Hircock Sue Brown
Chairman Trustee

Note 1: Depreciation of value due to loss of two tents in winds - written off.

-4-

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ members of

Charity Name any) Friends of Thornton 1064059

On accounts for the year August 31, 2024 Charity no (if ended

Set out on page 1

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/08/2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

Independent examiner's statement

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

 accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or

 the accounts do not accord with the accounting records

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed: EE[Carole Bailey Date: June 9, 2025 Name: Carole Bailey ]

Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any):

Member of the Institute of Accountants and Bookkeepers (IAB)

Address: Ivy Cottage, 17 Plum Park Lane, Paulerspury, Northamptonshire NN12 7NN ~~a~~

IER October 2018 1