Cuckmere buses Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd (Registered Charlty 1120494) Trustees, Report and unaudited Accounts 31 December 2025
Cuckmere Communlty Bus Ltd 2025 Report and unaudited Accounts Contents Page Contents gal and AdmiDi5tratNe DetaNs Annual Review Independent Examinerfs Report Income & Expendtture Account io Balance Sheet li Funds Flow Statement 12-14 Notesto the Accounts 15 Graphs- &year trends 16 Our Current Fleet
Cu¢kmere Community Bus Ltd Annual Report for year ended 31 December 2025 Legal and Admlnlstrative Detai15 Le8al Status - company/charity name- Cuckmere Communtty Bus Ltd - England & Wales Charity Commission reBiSter number 1120494 - England & Wales Registrar of Compan$ register number 06032LMXI - trading name- Cuckmere Buses - website address for charity- www.cUckMbUSe&0lg.uk ObJects The objert of the Company is toprovide a communtty bus and a communltytron5POrt seftrf, Including prwate hlre, forsuch ofthe inhabitsnts of East and Westsussex and the City of Brighton and Hove who a In need of such a service because of age, sickness or di5abilty (mentsl or physical), or poverty, or because of a lack of wlailability of adequate aNI safe pthlic pa55erEer ser. Tru5teeslDirertors Philip Montague Ayers Nicholas Brièn Price Wayne John Evenden BerylAnne Smith "Paul PatrKk Warren Prtnclpal PAldress The Old Rectory Litllngton Polegate East Sussex Arthur J Gallacher 34 Tower Kiw Hill, West Mallin8 Kent ME19 4UY BN26 5RB Bankers Barclays Bank pk CcH)perative Bank plc CCLA Fund Manager5 Independenl Examiner Sarah Price- SLP A(fvisory Limited
Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Annual Review for year ended 31 December 2025 The Trustees, who are also Directors of the companyfor the purposes of the Companles Act 2006, present thelr report with the financial statements of the charity fi)r the year ended 31 Dmber 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporttng by Charitie5: Statement of Recommended Prartice applitsble trj charitles preparing their ac£ounts In accordance wEth the Flnanclal Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and RepUl1C of Ireland IFRS 1021 leffectlve I January 20191. ftew ofAthttloS Cuckmere Buses is the trading name for Cuckniere Cornmunty Bus Ltd {CCBI, a charitable limlted company based in Berwick. East Su55ex. 11 has l)een runnlng for 49 years supplementlng existln8 bus servIS and providing bus link5 for village sIdents throughout the Cuckmere Valley area to their nearest towns for Shoppi for ap1tMents, orfor ela} activities. OUR VISION is being the Community Bus seNice of cholce ITr our area, and OUR MISSION is providing a safe, lIable, and courteous local bus. Servi those rur31 and urban communitles in our part of East Sussex not seNed by commeraal companes. CCB is run entirely by volunteers; there are Th) ernplo We hbve some 50 volunteerdrivers, all with DI classlftcation on their linceS, and a few additional volunteers who all help rurt the fieet of 16- seater low-floor Mercedes mini•bu5es. The MIDAS Iminibus Awareness Scheme} system of training has been radically altered to the point where CCB no longer considers it approprte for new driver recruits or for continuing education and reassessment. CCB has instead developed its own training and assessment xheme. at teast equivalent to MIDAS stsndard4 which has been acpted by East sussex County Counul and our Insurers. The value of volunteers to the organisation cannot be overestimated. in terms of community support and company vsability. In addÉtKin to over 20 weekly timetabled services. requtring nearty twi as many half-doy shtfts. the company operates summer leisure seNices and offers private hire facilitie& We also provide specsal annual servlces for the International Tennis in Eastbourne, and the Charleston festlvals. CCB remains a busy voluntary organisation and always needs new volunteers. Our ongoing recruitment programme has resulted in a reasonable net Increase in drivers by the end of the year and we are still looktngto increase numbersfurther in 2026. However,the Department forTransport's review of the changirE need for DI Ien requirements for minlbuses is a positive move and may result in us being able to access a broader driver pool, gi¥en that the DI Ience is currently only available if a car driving test was pad 1997. Although this reeW seems to have stalled recent. we optimistically awalt tl outcome of the consultation. 2025 Saw a modest Increase in passenger numbers over 2024, which was itself a record year, and by the ye3r-end we had carried 88,267 {2024 87,9151 passengers which, not only exceeded the 2019 figure of 81,632 but is now the highest numbers of journeys we have ever catered for. In addition. we ran some 168,67112024 159.042) miles and hope to see a continued Erovrth in passenger journeys during 2026.
Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Annual Review for year ended 31 December 2025 (cont) The charity dtd nottake any new buses into seThtce during 2025 but dld pla an order in July 2025 for one new bus with delivery scheduled for January 2026 with the alm being for It to enter service in late March 2026 with a special Il¥ery celebrating the charitvs 50 year. This means that the year end the fleet remains at eight min1 uses. The charity wa5 fortunate to be awarded a grant frorn the Garfield Weston Foundation for£l0,0toWaIds costof new 2026 addition and the charity thanks the trust for their kin(i donation. Roadwo and road closures continued to present major challenges durlng the year. especlally In Hailsham town centre, which often resulted in delays, rfrscheduled and r&routed serrflces ènd re8rettably. some cancellallon& Hopefullythese will ease durlnE 2026. The ¢harlty operatesefficlentto a high st)dard under the control of the Board ofTrustees who met formally on four occasions durtng the year. They reviewed operations of the company, fts financial P051tion, and the outlook for the future. In addition. two stskeholder meetlngs consisting of presentatives of parish and town councll s and company Offir5 were held, plus the AGM In Apfil. The annual soaal gathering of akehOlderS and drivers was held injuly and periodlc driverg meelings were held during the year to review resource availabillty, services operated and passenger views. Drivers provide a vitsl first p)int of contact with passengers and theirfeedback 15 Invaluable. The trustees have complied with their dtrty to have due regard to the charity commissk)n's public benefit guldance when exercisi any powers or duties to which the guidance Is relevant. Finan¢lal Performarte The financial statements are Included on pages 9 to 14. All Income and expendlture are related to unrestricted funds- there are no restricted nor endowment fund5. Central and kjcal government contlnued financial support for bus operators generally durlng the year by continuing to payfuel reba"teErnnts and conce5Jnarytravel fares based on pre<ovid levels, along with other 5UPPOrt gran These government support initiatives, together with our volunteer structure avoidin8 stsff costs and related overheads, plus maintenance cost5 reflecti a relatively vourE fleeL all helped the charity malntain a vlabk operdtingfinancial pOSitn. With a gross income of £329,623 (2024- £339,027) and expenditure of £319,771I224- £329,667), the year ended with a modest surplus of £9.852 (2024 - £9,360). Year*nd net assets amounted to £294,03912024-£284.1871 indudin8 cash at bank of £146.55812024-£114,309}. The charity operates policy of holding cash reseryes to meet woiected 5h OUayS taking account of sourcing requlrements for acqulsltions under its bus repl8ment programme. Funds not required in the short term are held in an approprfate deposit account. At the end of the year. the Trustee5 agreed an unrestricted bus replacement reserve fund of £50.IIXI 12024 - £20.IX)O), to cover future bus acquisitions. A high-level five-year trend of finances, passengers and miles run is sTrK)wn graphicalw on page 15. The Trustee5 have not identified any major uninsured risks to which the charty ts exposed.
Cuckmere Communlty Bus Ltd Annual Revlew for year ended 31 December 2025 (cont) STrUCTURE GOVERNAhlCE AND MANAGEMEMT Governlng document The governing document of the charity is the Memorandum and Articles of Assocration, which was adopted in November 2CM)S on the f0mtiOn of the Cuckmere Community Bus as a company whlch was reBiStered as a charity. The current memtrrs of the Company are all Dlrectors of the Company and Trustees of the Charity. who meet quarterly to fl11 both func5 and Tkn moy stand fDr re•elecÈion at the next Annual General Meeting. Golng Concern The TnJstee5 continue to monitor the ongoing Impacts the industry fas, Including recovery of passenger numbers as well as other events. particularly tevels of infktion and inueased fuel and vehicle running $ts. They have detemilned thaL vknilst signifKant. they do not create a materlal UnrtaInty that casts major doubt upon the chariws ability to continue a5 a goi concern. Foard VIÈW In additionto maintainmga strongoperational business base forthecharty,ourfocusoverthe coming year will again be threefold. fwst, to continue to bu1 patrotiage numbers so we can provide SUF>POrt to the same or greater level of deserying passengers we helped pre-pandemi¢ Secondly, to ConnUe to develop our driver trnining a5ses5ment and 5UPPOrt programme and thirdty, to contlnue wlth the recruitment programme to increase the overdll number of volunteer driver& As a result of ntral govemmenvs positfve focus on the bus industry. a number of initiatives within East Sussex may provide the opportuntryforCCB to Increase curntr¥Ice levels leadinglo increased net revenues. We look forward to these possible developments during the coming year. than8es in Tntsteesmirectors There have Len no changes to afty of theTnstees or Dlrectors during 2025. Acknowledgements We are a SUC$$1 buslne55 in meetEng our mission aThJ as always, thanks go to our volunteer drrvers, our regular pas*ngers, to everybody Involved in day to day runnlng of the organisation, and to Berwick Service Station for keeping the buses well maintsined. Particular thanks also EO to the ndlvlduals and local authorities who made donations to the charity during the year. A summary of donation support is listed on page L3 of this report. Thank you all.
Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Annual Review for year ended 31 December 2025 (cont) STATEMENT OF TRusfEES' RESPONSIBiunES The Trustees (who a also Directors ofthe companyforthe purposes of company law} are responsible for preparing the Report of the Tnjstees and the fFnancial statements in accordan with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounttng Standards (United Ktngdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practi). Company law requi$ the trustees to prepa financ1 statements foreach financlal year which gfve a true and faSrview of the state of affairs of the charltable company and ofthe incomlng resources and application of SOUr$. includirg the income and expenditu. of the tharitable company for that period. In preparlng those financial ststements. the tnee5 are required to - select suitsble accounting poliaes and then appty them consistentty; - observe the methods and prindples in the Charity SORP: - make judgements and estimates that a reasonal4e and prudent - prepare the financial ststements on the going concern basis unless It is inappTOPTiate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business. The trustees a Trsponsible for keeping properaccountin8 records whlch disdose wrth TraK*nable accurary at any time the financial posttion of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial ststements compty wilh the Companies Act 21J)6. Tly ate a150 re4)on5ible for safeguarding the assets of the dwitsble company and heKe fortsking reasonable steps for the prevention and detectlon of fraud and other Irregularttie Approved by order of the board of trustees o Aprll 2026 arKI signed on its behalf by: Beryl Smlth. Chaimwll April 2026
Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Independent Examinerfs Report I report to the Board of Trustees/Directors on my examination of the accounts of Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd for the yearended 31 December 2025. As the Trustees of the Cjbarity. you are re¥KFnsible forthe preparntton ofthe accounts in accordance wrch the requirements of the CompaniesAtt 26 ('the 2006 acv). Having satisfied myself that.the accounts of the company are not requlred to be audlted under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independentexamlnation, I report in respect of myexamination of your chartvs aLr(Juvrt5 a5 fdrried out urKleT Sectton 145 of the Charittes Act 21ni ('the 2011 Act'l. In carrylng out my examination I have followed DirectionsgNen by the Charity Commlsslon under Section 14515) {b) of the 2011 Act. Independent examlner's statement Since your charity'5 gross income exceeded £250.(Wyour examiner must be a member of a Ilsted body. l Can confirni that l am qualified to undertake t1 eaMinatknn because l am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountsnts in England and Wales. which is one of the Ilsted bodles. I have completed my eKdmination. I confirni that no matters have come to my attentlon In connectlon with the examinaOn giving me cause to belteve in any material respect:. 11 accounting records were N)t kept in respertof the Company as Fequired by Sectlon 386 of the 2(1)6 Att; or 2) the accourrts do not accord with those records 31 the accounts do not comply with the accountln8 requlrements of SeLtton 3% of the 2c4J6 Act other than any reqrement 41 the accounts have not been prepared ID accordan with the methods and principle5 of the Ststement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charitie5 lapplicabEe to charities preparing their accounts in accordan with the Finandal Rerrf)rting Ststmlard apKable in the UKand Republic of Ireland {FRS 10211. I have no cOnrS and have come across no other matters ift connection with the examinatlon, to whtch attention should be drawn in this report. in order to enable a proper understandin8 of the accounts to be reached. Sarah Prlce-SLP Advisory Unthd Independent ExamSner 14 Aprll 2026
Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Income & Expenditure Account for the year ended 31 December 2025 20Z5 Income Passenger seCes Grnnts & Donations Priwdte Hlre & Spedal Events other incorne Ttrtsl In¢ome 257,650 37.062 26338 8573 248.919 3L802 22,760 35.546 339,027 ExpendFwfe Charltable Acllyltl•s Serviurt& Repa[ & aeaning Diesel Inet of uCen & Insuranie Operations 1795981 {21,6141 139.789} {31,9921 1172.9931 {112,7621 12L3461 134.9271 133,0611 1202,096} Support Costs Adminlstration 9.7511 1878201 1127,571) DepratiOn (101,657 1146,n8) Totsl Expendltsre (319,7n) 1329ffi671 SurpbJ$ fortheyeaf 9A60 Openlng reseNe5 284.187 274.827 Closln8 rnser¥es Iper Balan Sheet)
Cuckmere Communlty Bus Ltd Balance Sheet at 31 December 2025 Taylble Flx•d Pz8eis Debtors Cash at 8ank 14048 11431 &757 Prepayments and A(rnd Inc(x 2L117 Totsl CUrrnrtAfts Credltors duewFthln onepr Amounts Fdllin8due%•7th1ri ORÈV Acryua15 4nd defÈned In¢JJrne Unan¥)rbsed furpurthase tsFassas JJ 33781 Yotsl credts th¢wlthlnth t CurrwtAss¢is Olabilltl•sl ,216 &289 CvÈdlt•rs dut8ft•nepr {tsL22 Totsl net •s%ets Funds of t1cha1y Unrestricted fund5-genernl Unrestricted furtds.a$setreplaMent Totsl Unrestrkted Funds al tbe MpanyA$ Enutledtv exwrtr¢rt Irtsm audbi er$ealon 477ofthe CoryAnte5P4tXlb fDft year entSed 31 De5ber102S. bl the members have rEedthe£ll5ttnyt0 obtsits an ofitsfinan(kF SMemrthe wr ended 31 trernber20251rn a{Mrdan t settion 476 of theConwFlesAtt 20LY c) theTrustees thdrtwHlit42Sfts 11 en5urfn8ihat the thaFit¥le cornparrykeeps acLounion8re£onlsth8t CoMpt4th 5ectlorns 368 and 387 of the Comp3Trip5 Att 2(KJ6antJ lil preparinBfflninaal 5atemÈAtSMthith a trne and falrthofthesw ofaffalrs of the tharlrable CDmpan¥as atthe end of eath finaffiti yeartY of btssurplus or defitir fvrearh fthanaal year in ano the wUitementsofstl0nS 394 and 395 otherw15e COrnFtywith the requiomentsof the Comparts 2( re[aEth8•7naTrdal #atements so f6ra5 ar(able th the Charitable company. dl these fi01 ststements hbekn wawed In attorM1ththevrrysIapplxabletg oknTtable rJ)rnpani45 subledto thesmall ¢Drnpnles r41 The flnanclal stdtrments were approved bythÈ Board 0fTnte25 and authortsed f Issue onf Aprll 2026and We $ed ort its behalf ty. B•ylSmlth Ttusteelt4rert aul Warren TnknlDlrettor A. £aL io
Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Funds Flow Ststement for year ended 31 December 2025 Su¥plu5 fortht par 985? 9,360 add back Oewedadon l¥*tl 87A20 lass Otber In¢• 185731 135.5461 Cash from Traimg 8573 35,546 C•pftal Grants Re1¥ed A£4ultlOns Proceed5 ofthsp)sal (NBV before 12623771 103 1262,2741 M¢wement In Workkn8 Capltal Debtors Prepayments Creditors {14521 358 1&624) 116.6891 35250 125.2851 Mo¥ement In Loa New debt 171,142 10,855 P3.472 Interest 16J58 Payrnents 108,525 Movement In nds ID the Yoar 122N Cash at Bank Openin8 Movement Ip Funds las above} C105ing Iper Balance Sheet) 114.3 34.274 136,722 122,4131 Fund IIeu•ndlkntn Futsds Funds 20,LNXI .Openlng Surplu5 for the year Inter funds traTrsfer Closing Iper Balan Sheet) 264,187 9.852 130,LWJDI 30.0(XY li
Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd Notes to the Accounts for year ended 31 Decernber 2025 1.1 Ststutory Inforrnlon. Cuckmwe Community Bus LlmSted Is an Inc¢)rporated thaTity and reg15tered In Englond & Wales. The charTtVs rfstwed number and reglstered office address can be found In the Report of the Trustees. 1.2 Basls ofA¢¢ountln¥-ThefinaMialstarements ofthe char1tsblec0mp. 1th & a publlc benefit entity under FRS 102, have been ppared accordan wth the Chartiies SORP IFRS 102) 'Accountlng and Reporting by Charitles.. Statrmentof Recomrnended Practiceappltcabie to charltles preparin8 their accounts In accordance wlth the Ftnanclal Reportlng Strndafd app4k2ble ffl the UK RepubHc of Ireland IFRS 1021 leffective l January 20191,. Financial ReprJrtifi8 stsndanl 102 Yhe Financial Reporting Standard appllcable in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and the Companies A¢t 2LY)6. The finanual statements have been prepared nder the histvrical cust convention. Income and eynditure are accountedforon am basis. LJ Inc¢me- Is recogni5ed tntheacc(MJnts wh£fft the thartty l>ecm attitled tothe re50urce5 and Is shDwn excluslve of VAT. The 5i8nificant value of voluntary help received Is not Induded in the accounts but Is descrfbeil In the trusteeg annual report. Debtor5 afe measured at wflement amounts less any trade dlscounts. IAExpendlt4n-Ilabllltles areYe¢o8ni5edas eXrturea5S00n asthere isa legal orconstructhjeobligattort committing the tharity tts pay out OUrces. and the amount of the obliEatioh ¢aTr be measured with reasonable certainty. Creditors a measured at settlemert arnnts le55 any trade dlscount 1.5 Tah87i >le FIX Assets - are recorded at cost and subsequently stated at $t le55 a(xumulated depreclation and accumulated Impalmient losses. 1.6 Depreclatlon- is calculated to wrltÈ off the cost of an asseL le5S bts estrmated resldual value. overthe prudent usefvl e¢onomÉc lrfe of that asset on a stra5ght-Ilne basts, &% follows: Motor Vehkle5 >7 years 1.7 Capltal Grants- In aCc0TdanWlth s24 of FRS 102 these are trtrated usin8 an accruals model and so are recogn15ed in Incon on asysten7atic basls overthe periods in whi( tt*dwtty recoBnises the related costs for which the grants intendedto cDMpwte. 1.8 Hlre Purthase A8feements - assets are capitalised as tangible fixed assets and depreciated over thelr useful Ilves. The opttal element of future finan payments s induded wlthin creditors: finance Charg are allocated to accounting periods over the length of the contracL 1.9 Fund A¢countln8- unrtstrrcted funds {induthro des5gnated fvnds) may be used rn (0rdart with the charitable objectives ofthe tharityJtthe (knt50n OfthetrUst. 1.10 Tax8tlon-The charity is exernpt from corporatton tax on Its tharTtable actriitie5. 12
Cuckmere Communlty Bus Ltd Notes to the Accounts for year ended 31 December 2025 {cont) 2 Passenprs5er%4res Conw51onary F4res TKknt Fgre5 Supportfrvm: tharfestonT0wnErPp1 East Dean & Frfston FC ESCC/B&H HalSsham Town CouTKIl PrAe8ate rowi C1 773 28,833 48.738 350 47.1Y 3 Grwtsand Towrn and Parfsh Coundls ArISton ArfinBton Bthfjrk QJ(kniereValJw Heathleld &Wald HerstmorKEux long Man P8vensev Polegate Seaford Westham YlJlffin8don &JEthn 2(rf) 1,271 250 15( 150 45(M) 3925 &621 EXC Wealden Distritt Co¥ndl Passen8ertl¢naYms Otherdoll8iJ¢wis 9.929 6.119 1177 3712 4 Other Inc4MTre &Jrplus on dlsposal of a%se Bank Interest Insulan Oaims metable and otheradvwts 29,150 1,569 3.727 1.100 35546 750 S Depreoo char in year less amortllDn cfw8ntJn ar InoEe 61 IOL657 91662 14W21 lo15? 6 UDamrrtknl Gmts èt 5tsrt of year rele35ed durir8year Inotr 51 at End ttf year I42} 442 13
Cuckniere Community Bus Ltd Notes to the Accounts for year ended 31 December 20251cont) 7 Tanwble Pthedws Co at stsrt of year dditlDns In the year d15P05als In the year &t end of par 262,377 1912191 cumul011 l>owedaUL at stsrt ofyear ¢harBes In the (note Sl disposals in the year at end of year 431123 92,662 194 1161 43L669 101.657 NetBook V 8 Debtors Actounts reivable VAT redalmable IL469 2,979 g •t 8arday5 wffent ac£ount Ctroperaiive eTht a¢£ount Bard8ys dwosltaccouttt Charitie5 dep05Trt acmu PettyCa5h 6L664 105.091 4303 IM305 10 Cr•dltors Amounts falllng dlle w&thin one year Ttsde credltors pufthase contracts 114725) .576) 129.6031 153,9YSI I8378) Amourtts frallingdue afterone year re purthase c8[ts{l-SYear$) P5WiI 11 Audlt Expenthre is aftvdorges fw Indepetht Relew£12o24. £9)01 and other pyoltwonal P024- £nill 13 Rdated P¥ty DI5dOTe The nD trdn5aCtions betteTh tt* (r)mpanyaThl rdated partles 14
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