Chairman’s Annual Report 2025
Since our last AGM, Friends of Osborne has gone from strength to strength. Friends of Osborne has had a very successful year with membership reaching its limit of 1200, which meant we had to introduce a waiting list. Events have been popular and, in many instances, oversubscribed.
We now have a strong committee with fifteen members. They have helped organise new events such as the visit to Farringford House and Buckingham Palace. We also kept old favourites such as the Spring and Autumn walks, led by Toby; and Hidden Osborne led by Christopher Warleigh-Lack. The talks in the Education Rooms continue to be well attended, as do the craft sessions. Members also enjoyed the Quiz and the Walled Garden drinks party. Also, I am glad to welcome back Carols in the Courtyard this December.
I would like to thank the committee for all their hard work in having made this year such a successful one. Also, all the English Heritage staff who have supported and enabled our events to take place.
Osborne, like all EH properties, went through a large restructuring this year. We said goodbye to David Bailey, who was always very supportive of Friends of Osborne and welcomed Victoria Stone as the new manager. She is passionate about the value of Friends’ organisations and has already brought new benefits for our members. We are now able to gain access to the House on a Monday as well as a Friday and we can enjoy a 10% discount all year at the shop and on food and drinks in all the catering outlets.
The library, which is an amalgamation of all the books from the Friends of Osborne Library and Osborne House, is now up and running. Any members who would like to volunteer to help in the library can find the information on our website. It has very limited opening hours at the moment, while a volunteer rota is getting established and as Osborne House is moving into winter opening. However, it is open this Friday 28[th] November from 10am to midday.
Osborne have put in various requests this year. Unfortunately, we have still not been able to commit to a large project, but we hope that we will be able to give Osborne a sizeable donation towards one of their requests in the next financial year. We have a very healthy bank balance and our treasurer will be able to tell you more about projects we may be able to support.
One of our commitments was to support an Education Award. The task was to paint a self-portrait, inspired by a portrait of Emma Gaggiotti (Mrs. Richards). This was sent out to all local schools and the response was amazing. Over 10 schools entered, sending in over 200 entries. Friends of Osborne commissioned and paid for a beautiful trophy, made from beech from the Osborne Estate. We also are giving the winning school £250.
In compliance with the Charity Commission the Trustees have formulated the following policy documents: Internal Financial Controls, Serious Incident Reporting, Internal Risk Management and Safeguarding. These policy documents can be found in the Members’ Section of the Friends of Osborne Website.
I have been Chairman for almost four years, and I am now stepping down. I will still be on the committee and take an active part in helping to organise and run events. It is
time for someone else from the committee to step forward into this role and bring new ideas.
Year to date
| 2024 – 2025 | Deposit a/c Current a/c Total Bank Bal |
Subscrip�ons Bank Interest Gi� Aid Bank Charges postage Accountant General Expenses Event Expenses Dona�on to Friends of Osborne Event Receipts Less Refunds Computer/ So�ware/Systems Dona�ons to Osborne |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| b/f October November December January February March April May June July August September |
£85,651.47 £761.10 £86,412.57 £85,784.58 £303.63 £86,088.21 £80,423.13 £222.33 £80,645.46 £80,551.53 £1,143.27 £81,694.80 £81,878.47 £345.49 £82,223.96 £82,006.39 £1,571.69 £83,578.08 £88,117.11 £486.15 £88,603.26 £90,342.63 £722.85 £91,065.48 £90,469.82 £640.11 £91,109.93 £96,394.99 £480.13 £96,875.12 £99,120.34 £673.59 £99,793.93 £97,005.07 £662.20 £97,667.27 £99,225.26 £615.87 £99,841.13 |
£980.00 £133.11 £217.00 -£8.60 -£27.20 -£60.00 -£320.70 -£1,172.20 -£65.77 £340.00 £138.55 £15.00 -£9.50 -£6.20 -£31.35 -£144.00 -£68.50 -£5,670.00 -£6.75 £1,000.00 £128.40 -£6.20 -£17.00 -£55.86 £950.00 £126.94 £190.00 -£6.20 -£13.60 -£717.98 £495.00 £127.92 £10.00 £755.00 -£6.60 -£27.20 £8,040.00 £110.72 £10.00 £530.00 -£7.80 -£3,127.74 -£530.00 £2,530.00 £125.52 £341.00 -£27.80 -£72.24 -£359.00 -£19.99 -£55.27 £815.00 £127.19 £1,117.00 -£8.60 -£59.40 -£47.00 -£1,545.00 -£354.74 £3,605.00 £125.17 £2,474.00 -£7.00 -£27.84 -£315.14 -£89.00 £1,762.00 £125.35 £1,620.00 -£12.60 -£27.84 -£33.98 -£514.12 £5.00 £134.73 £25.00 £489.00 -£2.40 -£21.99 -£2,756.00 £2,040.00 £120.19 £5.00 £226.00 -£0.80 -£44.78 -£120.00 -£51.75 |
|
| £22,562.00 £1,523.79 £0.00 £65.00 £7,949.50 -£100.80 -£244.27 -£1,325.16 -£60.00 -£883.16 -£11,634.94 -£4,423.40 |
Receipts and Payments - 1 October 2024 to 30[th] September 2025
| 01-Oct-24 01-Oct-24 |
Opening Bank Balances Deposit A/c Current A/c Closing Bank Balances Deposit A/c Current A/c Proft/Loss Closing Balances Less Opening Balances |
£85,651.47 £761.10 £86,412.57 £99,225.26 £615.87 £99,841.13 £99,841.13 £86,412.57 £13,428.56 |
Receipts Subscrip�ons Gi� Aid Bank Interest Events Dona�ons Proft/Loss Receipts Payments |
£22,562.00 £0.00 £1,523.79 £7,949.50 £65.00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £32,100.29 | ||||
| £32,100.29 -£18,671.73 |
||||
| £13,428.56 |
| Payments Bank Charges Postage Computer/So�ware/Systems Accountant General Expenses Dona�ons to Osborne Event Expenses |
-£100.80 -£244.27 -£1,325.16 -£60.00 -£883.16 -£11,634.94 -£4,423.40 |
|---|---|
| -£18,671.73 |
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES, Independent examlnorfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Rewt R•wt to th• trY•t•• Fnermts ol Osbome On Kcount• th• ywr •nd•d 30 Seplwnbor 2025 Ch•rlty no (11 any) 1163175 Iiem(¥ntseT triL' i11L¥S ol athJilrIJts I rwt to th• trt¢08 my •xamirntx)n of Ihe of tho aLwJv• crIty (ItKI TrLf) lor Iho w#Jod xi Soptthnbor 2025. R•spon•lbllltl•• and As InMte•• of Tnrt ar• re•p(YAible for the Fryarntbn 2011 (Iho Act-). I feport in respoct of my examination ol tho Trust'5 accounts carriod out w#Jer Soc1K 145 of the 2011 Acl ar#Y in c4rrylng out my examinalk)n. I heve follty¥fyg the applible Olrocticw lyvon by the Charity Commlss wlder aaK 144SXb) of the Act. Indepond•nt I have ¢omplet8d ry axaminatk)n. I that no malarlal matters have •xamln•f• •tat•m•nt como to my attentK#) {oth•r than tr*t di8cIo8•d b•low ") In Cn•¢0n thoAdL I h•v• oo 0)nW ar#J hove Come r othor matters in neCtIOn . with the exarnInatK to att8nlion slK)uld b• drawn in ord•r to •n8blo a oper UnderStajA of tho accounts lo bo roacw. Slgn•d: -12oaS R•l•v•nl wolM•lonal q1111¢111•) or body (If any): FMAAT AWrf&Co 16c Sandtrwn Road. Lake. 1810 of P038 9JP IER Octob•r 2018
Section B Disclosure Onty cx)mplete rf examiner rneds to IwJh1ht matters of concem {e CC32. examirnr8). Glv• hw• bfl•l qkntsll• of any It•rns that th• •xamln•r wl•hH to dlsclos•. IER Octob•r 2018
CHARITY COhlMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WAIES 11175 Recel ts and ments accounts CC16a T• 014*24 Sectioii A Receipt5 .Iiid payinenls R•strietèd Endowment Al 121 9ts7 ARJ loo {••• t•bl•l. 52.10 100 27,470 Cty• •r Cobty c4 l•J A4 A•Mi Inw•tfflw Al C••h fund• l••t y•ar •nd 16.413 9gJ41 16.413 19.041 62.944 CCX<R1 •¢aYArtI&81 1gIIYa026
Section B Statemenl of assets and liabilities at the end of Ihe period fvndB lund• B1 Cxh lund Tot•1 ¢••h IwMI¥ 9•,841 Orf nd• fvnd• 85 U•bllrtb•• CCXX R2 •¢rw#1&81 1WIIY202S
LAKE. ISLE OF WIGHT. P036 9JP Tel.10198314CW2 Fax.'1019831407039 ACC(XINTANTS ANO TAX CCNYSULTANTS Mr A Johnson Treasurer Friends of Osborne 114 YO Avtn East CotAs b51e of Wi8h¢ P032 6QH Sunday. Otber 19. 2025 Dear Adri•n. Thank you for sUppty1 us wlth the Inlomutknn rneded io Were the k£ounts for the year ended 30th September 2025. Please find enclosed forn) CC16a ftr Charities CommissM)n. 11 are entirtty hapw it is in order. please fop•rd io the members as required. It an electronK fomut woukl be more useluL please do let me know. We have prepared the enclosed from t docwnentstlon klndly supplled to us aThJ explan•th)ns efven. The stand•rd of bo0kkeeW was excellent win. Please may I bother you fof photO8raphic ID from each of your Trustees. l arn happy ft>r th15 10 bt a scan aNI email If easler than preseniSn8 to us wlthln office for certilkatlon. We bn tl prKess of •udItI our files for anti-ftK)nev laundefin8 c¢)mplS•nce and Ihis was noied as outstandi4. I hope the above makes sense. any querles at all please do not $ate to contact us. In the meantlme, l endose a note of my firm's fee account for your kind atten1n in due course which I h•%t capped at £50 net io support the charity. Kind Re8•rds. Yours SIrety. Sellna Poyler AIW & C•. - Rw•d 078e VAT RJ 14). 210 14J674