Registered Charity 1166411
ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
For year ending 30[th] June 2026
1. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATION DETAILS
1.1 Charity Name
Keystone Palliative Support Centre (known as Keystone Support Centre) Registered Charity Number 1166411 Incorporated as a Charity on 7 April 2016
1.2 Purpose of the Charity
This is defined in the founding documents as “To relieve the suffering of those with life-limiting illnesses, their carers and the recently bereaved in Alsager and the surrounding parishes of Church Lawton and Odd Rode”.
In practice this means that the charity operates, each week, a Patient and Carer Support Group and a Bereavement Support Group as well as providing a range of therapies (such as Massage, Reflexology, Aromatherapy and Reiki), a social and learning environment (art therapy, board games etc.) and Movement and Balance classes under the banner “Tripudio”.
1.3 Charity's Administrative Address
c/o Homefields 9, Chells Hill Church Lawton Stoke on Trent ST7 3FB
1.3 Trustees holding office during the Financial Year
Jane Kay Chair and Treasurer Joyce Key (ex-officio) Founder and Centre Manager Nicola Edge Kath Knight Mick Salt
1.4 Trustee Board
The above-named trustees form the charity’s board and do not receive a salary or any other fees or allowances for discharging their duties. Trustees are drawn from diverse backgrounds in Public, Private and Health sectors, bringing a wide range of expertise and experience. The Trustee Board is clear about the Charity's aims, focussing on ensuring a viable future for the range of services and compliance with statutory legal and financial requirements.
2. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The Board is committed to meeting the standards laid out in the Charity Commission code and relevant legislation as well as the principles laid out by Cheshire Voluntary Services’ GRIPP programme. Board members have attended appropriate networking and training activities.
The Charity is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, whose only voting members are its Charity Trustees.
3. BRIEFING BY THE TRUSTEE BOARD CHAIR
3.1 Overview of the Year
Services
The Trustees took the difficult decision to close the charity’s services at the end of 2025 and to formally close the charity at the end of the financial year on 30[th] June 2026.
This decision was taken due to the declining number of volunteers and the difficulties experienced in finding new volunteers along with a declining financial position in which expenditure was exceeding income at a rate of approximately £600 per month.
Volunteers
Volunteer numbers declined to the point where the service was becoming unsustainable.
Costs
Following an increase of over 25% in the previous financial year efforts were made to reduce costs by reducing the hours of hall hire and other expenses but these measures were outweighed by decreasing income. Some sources of income, in particular sponsorship from The Lodge Tyre Company (now acquired by Halfords) ceased altogether.
Income
Total income for the year increased by approximately £1,000 thanks in large part to Gift Aid Relief of £1367. The trustees are very grateful to Mike Gazey for his hard work in preparing these claims,
Keystone nevertheless suffered an operating loss of £3,539 , during what was effectively only 6 months of operation. Reserves at the year-end were £7,307.
3.2 Moving Forward
The charity will not operate beyond 30[th] June 2026, the Trustees have informed the Charity Commission. A decision will be taken on a suitable charity or charities to which any remaining funds will be transferred.
4 Results for Financial Year 2024/25
The results were quite different to the budget, for the reasons discussed earlier.
Operating Results Year Ending 30[th] June 2025
| Actual 2024/25 | Budget 2025/26 | Actual 2025/26 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | £5,037 | £5,000 | £2,488 |
| Expenditure | £10,401 | £10,000 | £6,027 |
| Surplus/Deficit | -£5,364 | -£5,000 | £ 3,539 |
Appendix 1 shows the results in more detail