2026-01-31-accounts - Exeter Dissenters' Graveyard Trust

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1 February 2025 To 31 January 2026

Charity name: Exeter Dissenters’ Graveyard Trust

Charity registration number: 1159449

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	To assist in the restoration, preservation, improvement, maintenance and conservation of Exeter Dissenters' Graveyard and to advance education in the graveyard and an understanding of the history and heritage of the graveyard and the people who were buried there.
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	Improvement of the site allowing access to members of the public For many years the site known as the Exeter Dissenters’ Graveyard was derelict and was targeted by fly-tippers and substance abusers. The graveyard lies just outside Exeter city centre in an area of historic significance - the Southernhay and The Friars Conservation Area, next to a major hotel. It was an eye-sore for locals and visitors alike and was a constant target for developers. The principal work of the Trust is now to maintain the graveyard, conduct research into the people buried there and their families, and carry out repair work where appropriate. Research The Research Group continues to investigate individuals and families associated with the Graveyard. Over 120 family biographies have been uploaded to the Trust’s dedicated website (www.edgt.org.uk).

		Website and social media Our website (www.edgt.org.uk) is regularly updated with information about the project as well as photographs of the work and data about the people buried at the site. EDGT also has a Twitter account (@ExeterDGT) and a Facebook page (@exeterdgt) which are not regularly updated. Education A successful event was held at Old St Leonards Hall in September 2025 as part of the national Heritage Open Weekend initiative. Ward grants totalling £515 were secured to support the event on 20th September as well as a performance by the Daedalus Theatre of Gerrard Winstanley’s True and Righteous Mobile Incitement Unit, at St Nicholas’ Priory, Exeter, on 6th October 2025. Over 30 people attended each of the events. Trustee Ian Varndell gave two talks about the work of the EDGT to the Exeter Local History Society (March 2025) and the Shillingford St George History Society (October 2025). Public benefit and EDGT trustees The trustees have regard to the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commissioner and the trustees confirm that they have had regard to public benefit guides PB1, PB2 and PB3 issued by the Charity Commission when making decisions to which they are relevant.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	NA
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38	NA

Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	Volunteers The EDGT has no employees and relies entirely on volunteers to plan, manage, undertake and report on the work of the charity, and maintain the site using paid contractors only where specialist knowledge, skills or equipment are required. Since 2014 volunteers have undertaken duties ranging from clearance work, building, pointing, stone repair and gardening to research work, stewarding and charity administration.
Other

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	Restoration The principal restoration of the Graveyard was completed in 2018/19. The main emphasis for the trustees is the maintenance of the graveyard, but they continue to increase its exposure to members of the public and ensure that fundraising meets the priorities for improvement works. The trustees agreed to open the graveyard on a permanent basis between early March and the end of October each year, subject to no damage being incurred at the site. Research The Research Group has continued to expand the quantity and accuracy of its biographical database. The Research Group met four times in person and by videoconference in 2025 and shared a lot of data electronically. Conservation A limited amount of conservation work was incurred in the financial period simply due to lack of funds. No major items required attention. On-line Activity The website continues to report progress on the Project and publicise events. The Trust has a presence on Facebook and

Twitter, although there are no regular postings. Visitor numbers are monitored and the most popular page visited is Social History which includes output from the EDGT’s active Research Group. As QR codes are scanned by visitors to the graveyard this activity is captured electronically. More QR code plaques will be installed in the graveyard in the coming years.

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
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 trust has £18,476 total funds, of which £390 are unrestricted, £86 are restricted, and £18,000 relate to Heritage Assets.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	EDGT aspires to accumulate reserves to the level of three years’ operating expenditure. This will be kept under review during the current financial year. The trustees have not identified any potential concerns.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	The trust has £18,476 total funds, (2024/5: £18,333) of which £390 are unrestricted (2024/5: £126); £86 are restricted (2024/5: £207); and £18,000 relate to Heritage Assets (2024/5: £18,000).
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	NA
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	NA
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	NA

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements	where relevant about:
The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	Principal sources of funding None.
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	Fundraising for a closed graveyard is difficult in times of recession and when cost of living is high. Lack of funding could require the trustees to cease all activities if insurance cover cannot be afforded.
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Foundation model constitution
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	Charitable Incorporated Organisation
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	Appointed for a three-year term by the current Board of Trustees by resolution at a properly convened meeting of the Board.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51	Board of Trustees The initial Board was composed of members representing several heritage and community associations operating in the county of Devon. Close relationships were therefore formed with those associations, all of whom contributed seed funding for the early feasibility work. Whilst close working relationships still exist with the founding associations, new trustees are invited on the basis of their experience and appropriate expertise. Induction and training of trustees New trustees are sought from the local community on the basis of appropriate expertise as required by the Board or have a demonstrated interest in the Objects of the Trust. The charity trustees make available to each new charity trustee, on or before his or her first appointment: (a) a copy of the current version of our constitution; and (b) a copy of the CIO’s latest Trustees’ Annual Report and statement of accounts.
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Exeter Dissenters’Graveyard Trust
Other name the charity uses	EDGT
Registered charity number	1159449
Charity’s principal address	c/o The Mint 21 Mint Lane Exeter EX4 3BL

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Office (if any)
Stephen Wills	Chair
Ian Varndell	Treasurer
Paul Chant
Nigel Fitzhugh
SallyDyer
Jane Marston
Claire Rudkins
CathyMoran
Anne Amosford	Chair of Research Group











Corporate trustees–names of		the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name	Dates acted if not for whole year


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 this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address	Type of adviser Name Address	Type of adviser Name Address




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

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

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) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date
	Ian Michael VARNDELL	Robert Paul CHANT
	Hon. Treasurer	Hon. Secretary
	5thJune 2026
	5thJune 2026

	Exeter Dissenters' Graveyard Trust 1	Exeter Dissenters' Graveyard Trust 1	Exeter Dissenters' Graveyard Trust 1	159449	CC16a
	For the period from	2/1/2025	To	1/31/2026

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts Donations and Legacies 299 Charitable Activities 918 - - - - - - 1,217 - - Sub total - Total receipts 1,217 A3 Payments Charitable Activities 953 - - - - - - - Sub total 953 - - Sub total - Total payments 953 *Net of receipts/(payments)* 264 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end 126 Cash funds this year end 390 Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ *Sub total*(Gross income for AR) A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)		to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - 121 - - - - - - - - 121 - - - 121 - 121 - 207 86 Restricted funds	to the nearest £ Endowment funds	Total funds to the nearest £ 299 918 - - - - - - 1,217 - - - 1,217 1,074 - - - - - - - - 1,074 - - - 1,074 143 - 333 476	Last year to the nearest £
			- - - - - - - - -	299	-
				918	74
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				1,217	74

			- - -	-
				-	-
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			-	1,217	74

			- - - - - - - - - -	1,074	501
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				-	-
				1,074	501

			- - -	-
				-
				-	-

			-	1,074	501

		- 121	- - - -	143	(427)
		-		-	-
		207		333	760
		86		476	333

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Details Bank Cash Details Details Details Graveyard Land Details Signature #VALUE! #VALUE! *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s))	to nearest £ to nearest £ 238 86 152 - - - 390 86 OK OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) Heritage 18,000 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Ian Michael Varndell Robert Paul Chant Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional)	to nearest £ Endowment funds
		-
		-
		-
		-
		OK
		to nearest £ Endowment funds
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		Current value (optional)
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		Current value (optional)
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
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		-
		-
		-
		When due (optional)





		Date of approval
#VALUE!	Ian Michael Varndell	6/5/2026
#VALUE!	Robert Paul Chant	6/5/2026