St Edith’s House, Emscote, Warwick
Report of the Trustees for the year to 31[st] December 2021
The Charity
Name and Registration
The Almshouse is named in two separate Indentures as Saint Edith’s Hostel (or Home ) but is now known as St Edith’s House . St Edith’s House is a registered charity and a member of the Almshouse Association.
Charity Commission Registration No 1076029. Almshouse Association Membership No 1842.
Governing Documents
The Charity was established by two Indentures:
By the first Indenture, dated 1[st] July 1868, the Earl of Warwick conveyed a piece of land to the first Trustees (Revd Thomas Bourne Dickins, Marianne Philips and George Henry Nelson). The land was to be held in trust for the building, establishment and management by the Trustees of an Almshouse as a place of residence for 12 poor and indigent persons, a superintendent matron and Schoolmistress. The rules and regulations included within this indenture were modified, as permitted and with Charity Commission approval, (minute 5.5a of 17[th] June 2003) and recorded in a memorandum dated 2[nd] March 2004.
By the second Indenture, dated 17[th] March 1869, Marianne Philips endowed the Almshouse with £2000 to be invested and the income used by the Trustees towards repair and maintenance of the building or towards the support of the residents .
Trustees:
Dr Alwyn Finney (Clerk) Ms Christine Dunne Mrs Myrtle A Green Mr Trevor Barr Mr Christopher Popple Mr Andrew Baugh (Chairman) Mrs Annie Brooks Revd. Diane Thompson
We are happy to welcome Mr Trevor Barr as a new trustee. Discussions are being held with Mr Robert Eastwood to become both Trustee and Treasurer.
Relevant Organisations & Persons
During the year the Trustees received advice and services from
| Bankers: | National Westminster Bank PLC |
|---|---|
| CCLA Investment Management Ltd | |
| (for COIF and CBF Funds) | |
| Independent Examiner: | Mr Alan Rylett |
| Social Care | Warwickshire Social Services, |
| Warwick District Council, | |
| Amber Housing, subsidiary of Heritage Care, Loughton. | |
| People in Action |
Almshouse Address (Not to be used for correspondence with the Trustees)
St Edith’s House, All Saints Road, Emscote, Warwick, CV34 5NL.
Relationships
Through its Trustees St Edith’s House is informally associated with the adjacent parish church, All Saints’, Emscote, although there is no legal or financial connection. The Trust Deeds specify that the vicar of the parish is to be a Trustee and from 1868 to the present day other Trustees too have been members of the church.
_Signed _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ date _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Aims and Objectives
The Trustees aim to achieve compliance with the objective of the Trust as defined in the Trust Deeds by providing affordable housing to those in need. It is recognised that this broad statement must be a compromise between the facilities provided by the building, the financial resources available to the Trustees, and consideration for the local community.
The Renovations
Until 1960/61 St Edith’s House comprised two large rooms, tiny apartments and a matron’s flat. The first renovation comprised internal alterations and a flat roofed two storey extension. The result was a house of nine very small flats; most were single room bed-sits. Residents from that time were mostly poor elderly women who were in good enough health to look after themselves, as there was no matron, or other resident carer/warden. In 1998, with only one flat occupied, the Trustees decided that another modernisation was due and set in progress a programme of extensive alterations.
Between 2003 and 2004 the nine very small flats were converted into seven larger flats, each with a separate living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. All flats have their own front door, three with direct outside access and four with outside access via a common hall/stairway and front door.
Residents
St Edith’s House has become a Supported Housing Scheme for Adults with a Learning Difficulty . The Trustees will accept as residents only those who comply with the beneficiary criteria as set forth in the Trust Deed. Residents will be selected from adults with learning difficulties who are in receipt of Housing Benefit (poor), who require continuing care from on site carers (needy) and who fulfil other regulations from time to time in force. In reaching a determination, the Trustees seek the advice of Warwickshire Social Services, Warwick District Council and Amber Housing ( Amber Housing who replaced Bromford in 2017, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Heritage Care, and has its address at Connaught House, Loughton, Essex 1GI0 4HJ).
Residents are obliged to adhere to terms and conditions set out in a Resident’s Handbook.
Residents are welcomed at All Saints’ Church but there is no obligation to attend, as was the case under the original rules and regulations when the almshouse was first established in 1868. They are also encouraged to engage with the local neighbourhood communities and activities.
All flats were occupied by mid May 2004.
Review of Affairs
The objectives of the Charity during 2009 were: to identify and resolve any deficiencies in the building following its renovation: to agree with Warwickshire Social Services and the Bromford Housing Group the selection of new residents as cases arise.
Building work and Finance
History
Funding for the renovation was supported by reserves of the Charity, an Improvement Grant from Warwick District Council, and aid from other charities that had agreed to support the project, notably including the King Henry VIII Endowed Trust. The Improvement Grant was provided in stages as work progressed, as was the financial support from other charities.
The Trustees had to arrange additional finance to complete the renovations beyond that which had been secured at commencement of renovation. Legal and Financial advice was sought before entering into an arrangement with the Charity’s bank for a loan. However, as building work progressed through the year, some problems were encountered, leading to increased costs and an extended renovation period. The bank loan was therefore insufficient to meet all the unforeseen additional costs.
Although all structural work was complete by the end of 2003 there was essential work to be done on some unexpected internal damp proofing and associated redecoration, resurfacing of the flat roof and erection of a new external staircase to the first-floor flat not accessible from the internal staircase. Due to project delays and increased costs extra funding was required. A second application was accepted by Warwick’s King Henry VIII Endowed Trust for funding for this work. The work was completed in March 2004 in time for the final instalment of the Warwick District Council grant aid to be released prior to its deadline of 31[st] March.
The Permanent Endowment of The Charity has not been used or diminished by renovation work.
Work during 2021
The Trustees authorised a survey of the whole building, external and internal, following the revelation of a number of minor structural and ventilation issues, often associated with a building of this age. The outcome of the review is being evaluated for work to start in 2022.
A complaint has been registered by the resident of flat four concerning the effects of condensation/damp which are being investigated.
All flats are again occupied.
Supported Housing Scheme
The Trustees have formed a partnership with three other organisations to provide the support and professional services needed to allow The House to be occupied by people with learning difficulties. These organisations are Warwickshire Social Services who fund the support services based on a community care assessment of need to the occupiers; Amber Housing who provide housing related support and People in Action who provide social care support.
With the support of these agencies, the Trustees undertook a process of consultation with residents in roads close to The House, explaining the work that had been done on The House and future plans for its use. Following the consultations, the agencies assisted in the identification of suitable residents and in the creation of formal structures in the management of the project and forward maintenance of The House.
Warwick District Council provided a substantial grant towards the renovation in return for which they had the right, through the agencies mentioned, to nominate residents for five years in partnership with the Trustees (agreement 20 January 2003). The Trustees, who reserved the right to refuse any nomination, approved this arrangement as an appropriate way of ensuring that only those most in need are helped. This agreement has now lapsed but the cooperation enjoyed under the agreement continues.
As mentioned previously, The House comprises seven flats, six of which are occupied by live-in residents and one being used as a resource flat and staffed by the care agencies. The Trustees feel that such use of care agencies and the ‘resource flat’ is the modern equivalent of the residential ‘matron and schoolmistress’ described in the original governing deed.
Together with representatives of Warwickshire Social Services, People In Action and Amber Housing the Trustees are members of the St Edith’s House Steering Group, the purpose of which is to ensure the effective running of the scheme, consistent with the governing deeds and the objectives of the project. The Steering Group also assesses the suitability of residents for occupation of the flats and ensures that the facilities of The House are suitable for their use.
The Trustees are entrusted with the care of the building and are responsible for the maintenance of The House.
End of Annual Report
St EDITH'S HOUSE
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR TO 31/12/21
| 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| INCOME | |||
| CBF interest & div. | 27.71 | 224.96 | |
| Dividend COIF | 238.18 | 233.54 | |
| Rent | 26910.00 | 26518.77 | |
| _____ | _____ | ||
| 27175.89 | 26977.27 | ||
| LESS EXPENDITURE | |||
| Admin | 274.40 | 213.95 | |
| Insurance | 925.93 | 948.25 | |
| Council Tax | 5193.32 | 3735.99 | |
| Water services | 239.81 | 219.18 | |
| Electricity | 522.79 | 457.52 | |
| Repairs etc | 6449.76 | 62728.95 | |
| _____ | _____ | ||
| 13606.01 | 68303.84 | ||
| _____ | _____ | ||
| SURPLUS FOR THE PERIOD | £13,569.88 | -£41,326.57 |
Repairs Amber - general small works
St EDITH'S HOUSE
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2021
| 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| ASSETS | |||
| NatWest current a/c | 76995.86 | 90550.69 | |
| Petty cash | 2.09 | 2.09 | |
| NatWest deposit a/c | 0.73 | 0.73 | |
| CBF deposit | 53234.41 | 53206.70 | |
| COIF perm. endow. (2) | 9349.65 | 8204.49 | |
| Debtor (Amber) | 27,097.00 | 0 | |
| _____ | _____ | ||
| 166679.74 | 151964.70 | ||
| _____ | _____ | ||
| REPRESENTED BY | |||
| Balance brought forward | 151964.70 | 192694.48 | |
| Increased value of (2) | 1145.16 | 596.79 | |
| Net for the year | 13569.88 | -41326.57 | |
| _____ | _____ | ||
| 166679.74 | 151964.70 | ||
| _____ | _____ |
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of On a¢counts for the year ended Charfty no (rf any) Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charty (Ihe Trusf) for the year ended R8spon$ibllltles and basis of report As the charity's trustees, you are responsilJe for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Chafrties Act 2011 {Ihe Act.). I report in respe(* of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed all the aptyKable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Ad. Independent he chanty's gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualrfied to examinerfs statem•nt undertake the examination by teing a qualif member of [insert name of applicable listed bodyll. Delete ( l rfnot applic8ble. I have completed my examination. I confinn that no material matters hav8 come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below ') whiGh gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records tre not kept in accordan with section 130 of the Charrties Aci; or the accounts dKI not accord wtth the acwunting records. or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements conmIng the form and content of accourts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Repts) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a Irue and fair. view which is not a matter onsidered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examinaknon to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. . Please delete the words in Ihe brackets rf they do not apply. Slgnod: Date: Relevant professional qualifi&itiorfs) or body IER Oct 2018
(rf any): Address: Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to high1ht matenal matteT5 of conr*rn (see CC32, Independent examination of charFty accounts". directions and guidance for examiners). Glvo here brièf details of any items that the eXaMir wishes to dlsclos•. IER O¢t 2018