Approved 24/12/25
Charity number 1161308
Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity
## Report and Accounts
31 March 2025
Approved 24/12/25
## **Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Report and accounts Contents**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees' report|1|
|Statement of trustees' responsibilities|3|
|Independent examiner's report|4|
|Statement of Financial Activities|5|
|Balance Sheet|6|
|Notes to the accounts|7|
Approved 24/12/25
## **Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Trustees' Report**
The Trustees present their annual report together with audited accounts for the Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity formerly Buckingham General Charities for the year ended 31st March 2025. They are prepared in the accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the charity’s trust deed, the Charities Act 2011 and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” (FRS 102).
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION**
**Registered charity number** 1161308
## **Co-optativeTrustees**
Mr. S. Townsend (Chair) Mr. R. Hughes (Vice Chair) Dr. R. Harrington (Office ended 11 September 2024) Mr. P. Hirons Mr. J. Harvey Mr. A Garrard **Ex-Officio trustees** Reverend W. Pearson-Gee Cllr. A Schaefer **Nominative trustees** Mrs. G. Collins Mrs. L. O'Donoghue Mr. A. Ralph Mr. T Goodman **Clerk** Ms L. Cresswell **Office** Christs Hospital Market Hill Buckingham Buckinghamshire MK18 1JN **Auditors** Hickeson Boyce Limited 68a High Street Stony Stratford Milton Keynes MK11 1AQ **Bankers** Lloyds Bank plc 19 Market Square Buckingham Bucks
1
Approved 24/12/25
## **Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Registered number:** 1161308 **Trustees' Report**
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The charity is a charitable incorporated organisation governed by a scheme dated 11th September 2014 and approved by the charity commissioners. The charity administers seven merged charities under the title Buckingham Almshouses and eleven merged charities under the title Relief in Need. Buckingham General Charities was merged with Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity and the assets and liabilities were transferred under a General Vesting Declaration dated 1 October 2015.
## **Recruitment, appointment, induction and training of Trustees**
The names of the trustees who acted during the financial year 2024/25 are set out on page 1.
There are up to 12 trustees on the charity, two ex-officio who are the Vicar of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Peter and St. Paul, Buckingham and the Mayor of the Town of Buckingham, six coopted trustees who must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and their terms of office are for five years, one nominated trustee by Gawcott with Lenborough Parish Council whose term of office is for four years and three nominated trustees by Buckingham Town Council whose terms of office are for four years.
All new co-opted trustees are identified and appointed by the existing trustees and they consider that the new trustees have the experience and ability to contribute to the management of the charity. Any competent trustee may be re-appointed at the end of their term of appointment.
All new trustees are provided with the documentation and information as set out in the Trustee Induction Policy dated July 2019.
Trustees consider the budget for the year at their January meeting and set the level of Weekly Maintenance Contributions for the year commencing 1st April.
The trustees carry out an annual review of the risks which the charity may face, have established systems and procedures to mitigate any risks identified and minimise any potential impact should any identified risks materialise.
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
The charity's objectives and activities are to relieve people who have a strong local connection to Buckingham, Gawcott, Lenborough or Bourton (“the area”) who are in need by providing almshouses and items, services or facilities calculated to relieve the need of such persons.
The trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the charity commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing aims and objectives and in planning future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.
## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
During the year, necessary maintenance and refurbishment work continued to be carried out on the almshouses.
2
Approved 24/12/25
**Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Registered number:** 1161308 **Trustees' Report**
## **Reserves policy**
The trustees aim to achieve a positive level of free reserves, as the income from residents should exceed unavoidable expenditure.
## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES**
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare accounts in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing those accounts the trustees are required to:
Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
State whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the accounts; and
Prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Act 2011, Statements of Recommended Practice and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Under the Charities Act 2011, as the charity’s trustees, we certify that;
So far as we are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charity’s auditors are unaware; and
As the trustees of the charity we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity’s auditors are aware of that information.
## **AUDITOR**
The auditors, Hickeson Boyce Limited Chartered Certified Accountants, have indicated that they are willing to be reappointed at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
By Order of the Committee,
Mr S Townsend **CHAIR OF THE TRUSTEES**
24 December 2025
3
**Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity**
Approved 24/12/25
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025 which are set out on pages 5 to 11.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity’s trustees 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
N Boyce FCCA 68a High Street for and on behalf of Hickeson Boyce Limited Stony Stratford Chartered Certified Accountants Milton Keynes MK11 1AQ
Date: 24 December 2025
4
Approved 24/12/25
## **Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2025**
|Relief in Need
Notes
Restricted
Unrestricted Unrestricted
Total
**INCOME AND EXPENDITURE**
Funds
Funds
Funds
2025
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
-
-
-
-
Investments
-
-
3,585
3,585
Charitable activities
2
-
81,958
3,264
85,222
**Total income**
-
81,958
6,849
88,807
**Expenditure on:**
Direct charitable expenditure - grants
-
-
1,232
1,232
Extension and refurbishment project
3
-
-
-
-
Charitable activities
4
-
82,774
431
83,205
**Total expenditure**
-
82,774
1,663
84,437
-
(816)
5,186
4,370
**Net gains on investments**
-
1,780
(4,401)
(2,621)
**Net income/(expenditure)**
-
964
785
1,749
Transfers between funds
-
-
-
-
**Net movement in funds**
-
964
785
1,749
Fund balances brought forward
-
398,481
141,450
539,931
**Fund balances carried forward**
-
399,445
142,235
541,680
Buckingham Almshouses|Relief in Need
Notes
Restricted
Unrestricted Unrestricted
Total
**INCOME AND EXPENDITURE**
Funds
Funds
Funds
2025
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
-
-
-
-
Investments
-
-
3,585
3,585
Charitable activities
2
-
81,958
3,264
85,222
**Total income**
-
81,958
6,849
88,807
**Expenditure on:**
Direct charitable expenditure - grants
-
-
1,232
1,232
Extension and refurbishment project
3
-
-
-
-
Charitable activities
4
-
82,774
431
83,205
**Total expenditure**
-
82,774
1,663
84,437
-
(816)
5,186
4,370
**Net gains on investments**
-
1,780
(4,401)
(2,621)
**Net income/(expenditure)**
-
964
785
1,749
Transfers between funds
-
-
-
-
**Net movement in funds**
-
964
785
1,749
Fund balances brought forward
-
398,481
141,450
539,931
**Fund balances carried forward**
-
399,445
142,235
541,680
Buckingham Almshouses|Total
2024
2,619
2,911
82,013|
|---|---|---|
|||87,543|
|||941
-
67,025|
|||67,966|
|||19,577
14,308|
|||33,885
-|
||-
964
785
1,749
-
398,481
141,450
539,931
-
399,445
142,235
541,680|33,885
506,046|
|||539,931|
There have been no other gains/(losses) apart from those included in this Statement of Financial Activities.
Signed on behalf of the trustees on 24 December 2025
Mr S Townsend
Mr R Hughes
Trustees
5
Approved 24/12/25
## **Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2025**
||**Notes**||**2025**||**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**£**||**£**|
|**Fixed assets**||||||
|Investments|5||154,206||177,197|
|Tangible assets|6||468,797||484,354|
||||623,003||661,551|
|**Current assets**||||||
|Debtors|7|2,945||3,260||
|Cash at bank and in hand||77,001||51,350||
|||79,946||54,610||
|**Less current liabilities**||||||
|**Creditors: amounts falling due**||||||
|**within one year**|8|(36,889)||(29,466)||
|**Net current assets**|||43,057||25,144|
|**Total assets less current**||||||
|**liabilities**|||666,060||686,695|
|**Creditors: amounts falling due**||||||
|**after more than one year**|8||(124,380)||(146,764)|
|**Net assets**|||541,680||539,931|
|**Funds and reserves**||||||
|Unrestricted funds|9||541,680||539,931|
||||541,680||539,931|
The accounts on pages 6 to 11 were approved by the trustees on 24 December 2025
Mr S Townsend
Mr R Hughes
Trustees
6
Approved 24/12/25
## **Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **1 Accounting policies**
## _**Basis of accounting**_
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention, as modified to include the revaluation of investments at market value, and in accordance with applicable accounting standards including Financial Reporting Standard Applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland SORP (FRS 102), and the charities Act 2011.
The charity administers seven merged charities under the title Buckingham Almshouses and eleven merged charities under the title Relief in Need. Buckingham General Charities (269332) was merged with Buckingham Almhouses and Welfare Charity (1161308) and the assets and liabilities were transferred under a General Vesting Declaration dated 1 October 2015.
The charity is a public entity as defined by FRS 102. As a small entity, the charity is exempt from the requirement to prepare a cash flow statement. The trustees consider there are no uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
In common with many other charities of our size and nature we use our auditors to assist with the preparation of the accounts.
## _**Income**_
Income is recognised on an accruals basis.
## _**Expenditure**_
Work done on maintaining the properties to make them suitable for habitation is written off in the year in which it is undertaken.
## _**Designated funds**_
The designated funds represent amounts set aside to carry out cyclical and extraordinary repairs on housing properties.
Cyclical maintenance fund:
For the purpose of providing for those items of ordinary maintenance and repair of the almshouses belonging to the charity which recur at infrequent intervals.
Extraordinary repair fund:
For the purpose of providing for the extraordinary repair, improvement or rebuilding of the almshouses belonging to the charity.
## _**Investments**_
Investments are stated at valuation. This is based on the bid price at the year end. Gains and losses on revaluation are taken to the Statement of Financial Activities.
## _**Freehold Property and depreciation**_
Twelve almshouses and some land were donated in a trust dated 14th January 1896. This comprises six almshouses in Church Street, Buckingham, six almshouses at Christ’s Hospital, Buckingham, land – allotments and woodland at Main Street, Gawcott and ‘Poor Allotments’, Tingewick. The trust was replaced by a scheme of the Charity Commission, sealed on 4th January 1983. As described above the assets were transferred to the charity under a General Vesting Declaration dated 1 October 2015, which was approved by the Charity Commissioners. For insurance purposes the properties are valued at £3,324,943. The property is inalienable and is therefore not included in these accounts as an asset. One of the charity’s properties at Christ’s Hospital, Buckingham was the subject of a major refurbishment which was completed during 2017. The costs were capitalised as tangible fixed assets. Depreciation is charged on this property cost on a straight line basis over its estimated useful life of 50 years. Depreciation is charged on the Church Street refurbishment cost on a straight line basis over its estimated useful life of 10 years.
## _**Basic Financial Instruments**_
The bank loan is considered to be a basic financial instrument and has been accounted for at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
## _**Taxation**_
The company has charity tax exemption status.
7
Approved 24/12/25
## **Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**2 Charitable income**
**Unrestricted funds**
**Buckingham Almshouses**
Maintenance contributions receivable
**less:**Voids
Rents receivable
**Total income from lettings**
**Relief in need**
Rents receivable
**Total income from charitable activities**
**Units of accommodation**|**2025**
**2024**
£
£
81,958
78,697
-
-
-
-|
|---|---|
||81,958
78,697
3,264
3,316|
||85,222
82,013|
||12
12|
## **3 Extension and refurbishment project**
The amount shown relates to expenditure incurred for the refurbishment of units in the Church Street property.
## **4 Charitable activities**
|Repairs and maintenance
Lighting and heating
Insurance
Council tax
Professional fees
Bank charges and fees
Loan interest
Depreciation
Secretarial services
Audit fees
Sundries
Subscriptions|**2025**
**2025**
**2025**
**Buckingham**
**Relief in need**
**Total**
**Almshouses**
£
£
£
39,617
-
39,617
1,171
-
1,171
3,220
431
3,651
-
-
-
3,179
-
1,199
148
-
148
12,936
-
12,936
15,557
-
15,557
5,499
-
5,499
-
1,980
1,413
-
1,413
34
-
34|
|---|---|
||82,774
431
83,205|
8
Approved 24/12/25
## **Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025**
|Repairs and maintenance
Lighting and heating
Insurance
Council tax
Professional fees
Bank charges and fees
Loan Interest
Depreciation
Secretarial services
Audit fees
Sundries
Subscriptions
Amounts payable in respect
of: audit/independent examiner's services
other services
**Fixed asset investment**
**Cost or valuation**
At 1 April 2024
Additions
Withdrawals
Increase/(decrease) on revaluations
At 31 March 2025|**2024**
**2024**
**2024**
**Buckingham**
**Relief in need**
**Total**
**Almshouses**
£
£
£
14,757
50
14,807
3,688
-
3,688
2,272
411
2,683
-
-
-
5,873
-
5,873
183
-
183
14,484
-
14,484
15,557
-
15,557
5,614
-
5,614
1,980
-
1,980
1,310
723
2,033
123
-
123
65,841
1,184
67,025
**2025**
**2024**
1560
1980
528
299
**M&G Charity**
**Multi-Asset**
**Fund (formerly**
**National**
**Association of**
**Almshouses**
**CIF shares)**
**Charities**
**Official**
**Investment**
**Fund -**
**accumulation**
**units**
**Charities**
**Deposit**
**Account**
**Total**
53,088
103,739
20,370
177,197
-
-
268
268
-
-
(20,638)
(20,638)
1,780
(4,401)
-
(2,621)|**2024**
**2024**
**2024**
**Buckingham**
**Relief in need**
**Total**
**Almshouses**
£
£
£
14,757
50
14,807
3,688
-
3,688
2,272
411
2,683
-
-
-
5,873
-
5,873
183
-
183
14,484
-
14,484
15,557
-
15,557
5,614
-
5,614
1,980
-
1,980
1,310
723
2,033
123
-
123|
|---|---|---|
|||65,841
1,184
67,025|
||54,868
99,338
-
154,206||
## **5 Fixed asset investment**
9
Approved 24/12/25
## **Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025**
## **6 Tangible Fixed Assets**
|**Cost**
At 1 April 2024
Additions
Disposals
At 31 March 2025
**Depreciation**
At 1 April 2024
Charge for the year
On disposals
At 31 March 2025
**Net book value**
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024
**7 Debtors**
Other debtors
Prepayments & accrued income
**8 Creditors**
**(a) Amounts falling due within one year**
Bank loan
Other creditors
Accruals and Deferred income
**(b) Amounts falling due after one year**
Bank loan|Christ's Hospital
Almshouses
Refurbishment
591,150
-
-|Church Street
Almshouses
Refurbishment
**Total**
**£**
37,338
628,488
-
-
-
-|
|---|---|---|
||591,150|37,338
628,488|
||117,996
11,823
-|26,138
144,134
3,734
15,557
-
-|
||129,819|29,872
159,691|
||461,331|7,466
468,797|
||473,154|11,200
484,354|
|||2025
2024
£
£
413
717
2,532
2,543|
|||2,945
3,260|
|||2025
2024
£
£
20,820
19,251
-
-
16,069
10,215|
|||36,889
29,466|
|||2025
2024
£
£
124,380
146,764|
The above bank loan is secured by way of a legal charge against the following land and buildings; The Almshouses, 1 - 6 Christ's Hospital, Buckingham, The Almshouses, 5 - 10 Church Street, Buckingham and Land in Gawcott.
10
Approved 24/12/25
## **Buckingham Almshouses and Welfare Charity Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025**
|**9 Unrestricted funds**
**At 1 April 2024**
Withdrawals (see note 5)
Appropriations in the year
Surplus/(Deficit) on revaluations in year
Transfer from restricted funds
**At 31 March 2025**
Net incoming resources/(resources expended)
for the year|**Relief in need**
**Total**
**Undesignated**
**funds**
**Designated**
**funds**
**Undesignated**
**funds**
**Unrestricted funds**
345,393
53,088
141,450
539,931
(816)
-
5,186
4,370
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,780
(4,401)
(2,621)
-
-
-
-
**Buckingham Almshouses**
|
|---|---|
||344,577
54,868
142,235
541,680|
|**Designated funds**
**At 1 April 2024**
Appropriations in the year including revaluation surplus
Withdrawals (see note 5)
**At 31 March 2025**|**Cyclical**
**Maintenance**
**Fund**
**Extraordinary**
**Repair Fund**
**Total Designated**
**Funds**
44,634
8,454
53,088
1,780
-
1,780
-
-
-|
|---|---|
||46,414
8,454
54,868|
The designated funds represent amounts set aside to carry out cyclical and extraordinary repairs on housing properties, and is represented by the investment in NAA CIF shares (see note 5)
## **10 Analysis of net assets between funds**
|Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
**At 31 March 2025**|**Fixed assets**
**Current assets**
**Current and**
**long term**
**liabilities**
**Total**
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
623,003
79,946
(161,269)
541,680
-
-
-
-|
|---|---|
||623,003
79,946
(161,269)
541,680|
11