The Rootes Archive Centre Trust
Trustees Report & Financial Statements Year Ended 31 December 2024
Registered Charity Number 1108882
www.rootesarchive.org
Trustees
Andy Bye (Chairman) James Spencer (Secretary) Matt Ollman (Treasurer) Roger Plaskett
Charity Commission registration number: 1108882
Bankers Lloyds Bank Salisbury
Auditor L.D.W. Rowe
Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1.1.24 Period start date to 31.12.24 Period end date
Charity name: The Rootes Archive Centre Trust Charity registration number: 1108882
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | To advance education in the subjects of Automotive and Motor Industry history and heritage, by the establishment and maintenance of an archive centre/museum for the preservation and study of archives or other material of historical significance of or connected with the Rootes Group and associated or successor companies. At their discretion, the Trustees may spend all or part of the capital of the Charity in furthering these objectives. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
The activities of the Rootes Archive Centre Trust are: Hold, preserve, catalogue, and make available the archives of the Rootes Group engineering department and other archives or material of historical significance, connected with Rootes Groupor its associated companies |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | No grants made |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | During 2024 the volunteer Trustees were assisted by a small group of volunteers who assisted with Cataloguing engineering drawings, identifying documentation and photographs, and promoting the Trust. |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | In 2024, the Trust ‘s focus was fundraising to ensure all running costs could be met along with funding for the acquisition of new exhibits. To maintain regular contact with the Rootes community the Trust continued production of their newsletter called “Rootes Gazette” which is published as an e-book on a bi-monthly basis & 6 editions were produced. This has continued to be well received and is proving very popular. During the year the Trust continued to supply technical drawings and Heritage certificates to Rootes’s car owners, and the number of requests has increased. The Trust has now had over 250,000 of the engineering drawings contained on aperture cards professionally scanned. This means easier accessibility to the drawings but also the ability to safely store copies of them off site thereby eliminating any risk of loss. This work was funded by donations. The trustees have agreed to reserve (ringfence) 8 years of Archive Centre running costs (£48k) within the accounts to ensure the sustainability of the Archive should there be any issues with fundraising in the future thereby allowing time for an action plan to be created to preserve the assets and find a new location. |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | The Trust has no debts and through proactive fundraising and successful friends programme meets all its financial objectives. |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | |
|---|---|---|
| Other |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | The charity has had another successful year fund raising and has no debts and covers all its runningcosts. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves statingwhytheyare held |
Para 1.22 | The trust holds 8 years of annual running costs (£48k) within its accounts as a contingency fund. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £48000 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | There are no uncertainties for the charity |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Trust deed |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | Unincorporated |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | New Trustees must undertake a period of volunteering to fully understand the operation of the Archive before being considered as a trustee candidate. |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charityname | The Rootes Archive Centre Trust |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses |
| Registered charitynumber | 1108882 |
|---|---|
| Charity’s principal address | 15 Apollo Park Ironstone Lane Wroxton Banbury OX15 6AY |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Bye | Chair | |||
| Matthew Ollman | Treasurer | |||
| James Spencer | Secretary | |||
| Roger Plaskett | ||||
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
| Trustee name | Dates acted if not for whole year | |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold Building transferred to the Charity Commission as Official Custodian on a vesting order |
August 2024 | |
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
| Description of the assets held in this capacity |
|
|---|---|
| Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how these fallswithin the custodian charity’s objects |
The activities of the Rootes Archive Centre Trust are: Hold, preserve, catalogue, and make available the archives of the Rootes Group engineering department and other archives or material of historical significance, connected with Rootes Group or its associated companies |
| Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets |
from the charity’s own assets ~~pe~~
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of Name Address adviser Auditor David Rowe 10 Austen Gardens, Hayling Island. PO11 9FF ~~—————~~
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s)
Full name(s) Andrew Bye Position (eg Secretary, Chairman & Trustee Chair, etc) ~~ee~~
~~ee~~
Date 7/10/2025
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