The Louis Ross Foundation Charity Number: 1168723
Trustees' Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Period 2 June 2022 to 1 June 2023
March 30, 2024
Reference & Administration Details
Charity name: The Louis Ross Foundation
Charity number: 1168723
Charity's operating address: Ashley Wood House Tarrant Keyneston Blandford Forum Dorset
Postcode DT11 9JG
Names of the Charity Trustees who Manage the Charity
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Trustee Name
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1: Penny Ross 2: John Ross
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3: Tim Evans
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4: Judi Tipping
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5: Richard Stephenson
Office Appointed Retired Chair March 2023 Treasurer March 2023 March 2023 March 2023 March 2023
Names & Addresses of Advisors
Name Address & Postcode Independent Amanda Peroni Ivy Cottage Examiner F.C.C.A. Stubhampton Blandford Forum Dorset DT11 8JU
Structure, Governance & Management
Description of the Charity's Trusts
Type of Governing Document: Constitution
How the Charity is Constituted: Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Trustee Selection Methods: Appointed by the Board of Trustees.
How New Trustees are Inducted and Trained:
The charity trustees will make available to each new charity trustee, on or before his or her first appointment:
(a) a copy of the current version of this constitution; and
(b) a copy of the CIO’s latest Trustees’ Annual Report and statement of accounts.
Summary of the Objects of the Charity as set out in its Governing Document
1) The relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial or other disadvantage for the public benefit, in particular, but not exclusively by, providing donations to:
a) Charities supporting young people or young people in Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire who provide regular or on-going caring support to a family member who is either physically or mentally ill, disabled or addicted to substances, by providing the resources for respite activities and practical help.
b) Charities in Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire helping homeless young people who provide shelter and sustenance with the aim of helping them return to the community and enabling them to resume a normal life.
c) Institutions and charities in Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire providing care, respite and education facilities for autistic young people and their families.
d) Improve the emotional resilience and mental health of children and young people throughout Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire by informing and actively engaging with children, young people, parents, policymakers and professionals.
2) To advance such charitable purposes (according to the law of England and Wales) as the trustees see fit from time to time in particular, but not limited to advancing the education of young people for the public benefit by making awards that foster innovation and opportunity to financially disadvantaged students in full-time education in Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.
Summary of the Main Activities Undertaken for the Public Benefit in Relation to the Charity's Objects
The Foundation have focused in granting monies to charities, institutions that ‘help young people facing difficulties’ and directly to young people within the framework of the objectives documented above. The overriding criteria is that monies given must make a difference by either contributing to individuals directly to address a specific need or by contributing to a project run by the charity or institution. In advance of the approving and granting of monies, a visit is made by several trustees to discuss directly with the charity/institution/individuals concerned to ascertain exactly how the money will be spent, the impact it will make and arrange a follow up to ascertain the results of the contribution.
During the financial year, June 2, 2022, to June 1, 2023, the following charities/individuals have received funding from the Foundation totalling £24,006:
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Beaucroft School
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Dorset’s STARS (Sexual Trauma and Recovery Services)
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Joss Searchlight
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Challengers
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Langside School
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Millie College
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Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund
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Staysafe
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Fernheath Play
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Mosaic
Additional Details Activities – Grant Making/Donations
A clear and documented account of any proposal for funding will have to be submitted to our Trustees for proposed donations to individuals, groups or projects. All applications will include and observe at a minimum the following criteria:
a. An explanation of how funding will achieve the Foundation’s objectives. The proposal must ensure how the application, whether it be from an individual, charity or organisation will directly benefit young people in difficulty in the areas outlined by the Foundation’s objectives e.g. homelessness, autism, young carers, young people’s mental health and education
b. The location of the individual, group or project must be resident or operating within Dorset, Wiltshire or Hampshire
c. Where funding is going towards a charity, the organisation must be registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Preference will be given to local charities when making donations
d. The time period within which the proposal is valid must be one year. (Subsequent future funding applications will have to be submitted for re-approval by the Trustees)
e. Donations to individuals will be limited to £1,250.00 in any 12-month period. (Variation to this will be at the discretion of the Board of Trustees)
f. For funding given to individuals, a letter of support (from a qualified medical, social care professional or educationalist) should accompany the proposal
- Organisations will be required to demonstrate the benefit of any donations made by the Foundation by providing an impact report to the Board of Trustees within an agreed time period.
Achievements & Performance
Statutory Declaration
The trustees declare that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the commission in exercising their powers or duties.
Summary of the Main Achievements of the Charity for the Year
This Trustee report represents activity within the period June 2, 2022 to June 1, 2023 (as defined by the Charity Commission).
Donations Made
We are proud to have donated a total of £24,006 to the following worthy causes/charities during the financial year, in line with our mandate:
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BEAUCROFT SCHOOL £2,500 –Beaucroft School caters for children aged between 4-19 who are experiencing learning difficulties, including complex needs, and those with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Our donation of £2,500 (our fourth) is towards the cost of a new outdoor performance stage structure. This resource will help to maximise the use of Beaucroft’s outdoor space and will have many benefits for the children and the whole school community. sport.
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STARS £2,500 - (The Sexual Trauma and Recovery Service). Our donation will pay for play therapy and counselling for children aged between 4 and 10 years who are referred to STARS.
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JOSS SERACHLIGHT £2,500 - Joss Searchlight is a charity established to relieve the needs of children suffering from cancer and their families. Their application for funding told us that many of these children are struggling to cope with lessened ability, anxiety and depression. They may be robbed of their mobility, eyesight, hearing and voice. Many of the children supported by Joss Searchlight have a brain tumour and of these, only 1 in 3 will survive more than 5 years.
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CHALLENGERS £1,281 - this sum of money will pay for a day of play for 7 disabled young people; our third donation to this worthy charity. Thanks to Challengers, disabled young people are welcomed to have fun and socialise together with trips out and activity days, regardless of the complexity of their impairments or how challenging their behaviour may be.
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LANGSIDE SCHOOL £5,000 – Our Donation helped towards an amazing new Soft Play room. Unusually, Langside currently has pupils who are mobile and so it was important for the school to create a safe space for them. This is our fourth donation to this wonderful school which was initiated by ‘parents in need’ in 1955. It is now run by Diverse Abilities as a visionary school for pupils aged 2-19 - of which there are currently 26 in total; cared for by a huge staff team including educators and health care providers. Children who attend Langside School have profound physical and learning disabilities and complex medical needs. The team provides a full sensory and therapeutic approach to meeting the children’s needs and helping them achieve their full potential.
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MILLIE COLLEGE £2,225 - Millie College is disability charity which aims to connect people with their communities, promoting inclusion and wellbeing to improve the lives of disabled and vulnerable people. It provides first class education for young adults with disabilities aged between 16 and 25. The students benefit from learning informally, developing skills for life through a range of activities, including animal care, horticulture, catering and creative arts. Our donation will be used to fund iPads in order that each student has one to use individually.
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LENNOX CANCER CHARITY £1,500 - We were pleased to respond to a request from Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund to donate towards a project called EIMS – Early Intervention Mental Wellbeing Scheme. Our funding will provide three Dorset families with enhanced emotional support as they face the challenges associated with a childhood cancer diagnosis.
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FERNHEATH PLAY £1,500 – We are pleased to continue to support Fernheath Play in West Howe with our third donation. This play centre and after-school club ensures that vulnerable children and those with Special Needs are cared for during out of school hours. Our funding helps pay for the extra one to one staff required by the inclusion of children with Special Needs.
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FAITHWORKS WESSEX SLEEPSAFE £3,000 - donated for the sixth consecutive winter! This Bournemouth-based winter project successfully changes the lives of rough sleepers and as we know that Louis cared about the lives of the homeless, it gives us great comfort to know that a total of £29,000 has been donated in his name.
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MOSAIC £2,000 – This is our third donation to Mosaic a wonderful charity that support bereaved children and young people aged between 4 and 18. Our donation funded a sailing day activity for a large group of children.
Fundraising
The above donations made by the Foundation have been funded through numerous fundraising activities and donations made. The Trustees want to put on record how grateful we are to everybody who has donated, undertaken fundraising activities or helped the Foundation in any way. We are so grateful to those people who remain loyal friends of the Foundation and whose enthusiasm and commitment helps Louis’s Foundation to achieve its aims and make real differences to those experiencing difficulty who are unable to help themselves. It is so touching that in remembrance of Louis, acts of kindness and positivity are carried out.
In total £11,852 has been raised in fundraising activities. This is significantly down on last year (£36,301). However, last year’s figure reflects income received through the LRF Festival and is an outlier in terms of fundraising income. This year’s figure is in line with that raised in previous years (See Financial Review section in this report). Please note that the figure only reflects monies received within the financial year and will not include money raised by activities towards the year end, as money from these events will not have been received within the financial year:
June 2022
Tarrant Keyneston Swish Night - The evening of ‘swishing’ or swapping was enjoyed by ladies from the local area. New clothes were found, wine and cakes consumed and £350 raised for Louis’s Foundation!
Tarrant Keyneston Jubilee Plant Sale - We were so grateful that the proceeds of the plant stall held at the village Jubilee celebrations on June 4th were generously donated to Louis’s Foundation. Thank you so much! £120 raised!
Sturminster Marshall’s Village Jubilee Celebrations - We were invited to have a stall at
the special celebratory fete held in Churchill Close on June 5th – we chose to have Tombola stalls, one for adults and one for children. A great afternoon and £209 raised!
Tarrant Valley 10K - Thank you to Jo Mare for supporting Louis’s Foundation for the second time in this event, with your valiant run!
August 2022
Our Cream Teas Garden Party - With the garden in tiptop condition after Gabriella’s wedding in July, it seemed a good idea to host our third Cream Teas event at home. The weather was kind and we were grateful to have help from loyal friends! Both garden and cakes were enjoyed to the tune of £856!
September 2022
British Fossils’ Bike Ride - We were delighted when Sturminster Marshall-based British Fossils chose to raise funds for Louis’s Foundation with a charity bike ride around Dorset, of up to 40 miles, on September 3rd. The team trained hard and enjoyed their challenge, raising a magnificent £2,788! Thank you so much for your generosity in choosing to support us.
Canford School - We’re very grateful for the continued support of Canford School, raising £550 with a Zorb Football event.
October 2022
Berni Inn Retro Dinner @ The Anchor - An evening full of nostalgia and delicious dishes was enjoyed at our favourite gastropub, The Anchor @ Shapwick on October 6th. We’re extremely grateful to Rich and Rob for masterminding this event and to their generous suppliers, Keating’s Butchers of Wimborne and Premier Fish of Salisbury for their sponsorship. Everyone attending had a wonderful evening with a fabulous raffle also and an amazing £761 was raised.
Mix & Mingle Stall in Tarrant Keyneston - We were pleased to have the opportunity to sell cakes and various goods at the monthly village get-together in TK on October 20th. Everyone was most welcoming and we raised £119 for Louis’s Foundation.
Spar Community Support in Sturminster Marshall - Thanks to Lianne Pettifer, manager, the Spar store in Sturminster Marshall is supporting Louis’s Foundation with a permanent bookshelf where customers can donate and buy used books for a donation. At Hallowe’en, a children’s colouring competition was held, with proceeds also being added to the donations’ bucket; the total of which then reached £113.60.
December 2022
Sturminster Marshall Christmas Tree Festival - Thank you so much to the ladies of the Evening W.I. for dedicating their beautifully-decorated tree to Louis’s Foundation. The theme was ‘A Tribute to our Royal Family’ and this was voted second favourite by visitors to the Festival. Great result and £86.38 raised.
Christmas Countdown on the Patio - A wonderful fundraiser held in Cheshire – thanks to old school friend Kay Willard. We’re so grateful for all the hard work and effort that went into puttingon the event and so pleased that news of Louis’s Foundation has spread to the NW! Thank you to all of Kay’s family and friends who helped, especially the Elf Committee and to her band Hot Flush who entertained the attendees. £894 was raised!
January 202
ANDRE’S CAPTAINCY - The year began with long-time family friend and friend of the Foundation, Andre Labouchardiere, taking-up the reins for his year as Captain of Ashley Wood Golf Club. We were honoured that Andre chose The Louis Ross Foundation as his Captain’s Charity. There will be a number of fundraising events throughout Andre’s captaincy year which will be highlighted in next year’s report.
March 2023
MUSIC QUIZ NIGHT AT THE ANCHOR - On March 2nd, we were fortunate to hold a Music Quiz Night at our favourite hostelry. A huge vote of thanks to Rich & Rob at The Anchor, to Mike for a fun (but musically/memory taxing!) quiz and to everyone who supported the event. £460 was raised for Louis’s Foundation.
April 2023
BLANDFORD DARTS ROUND ROBIN RAFFLE - We were so fortunate that Dennis Crane and Sarah Thompson chose to support Louis’s Foundation with their Grand Raffle held at the Darts Competition at Blandford’s Royal British Legion on April 8th, organised by Dennis. The prizes were amazing and many tickets sold – raising a fabulous £1,100! A great deal of effort went into the fundraising aspect of the day and we are extremely grateful!
May 2023
THE MILLIES’ HALF-MARATHON - We were so grateful that Millie Smith, good friend of Louis’s, and her lovely friend Millie Carr chose to remember Louis and to support his Foundation by training hard and running the Hackney Half-Marathon on May 21st! They successfully completed their challenge, kept on smiling and raised the wonderful sum of £651!
Donations to the Foundation
During this year, the Foundation received over £17,933 in donations. This is considerably up on last year’s figure (£10,393) and reflects the continued generosity of our existing and new supporters alike.
In addition to our regular donations from friends of Louis and the family, we have had several corporate donations this year which has significantly added to funds available for grants to be made. Specifically, we received (i) £2,000 from a private banking trust and (ii) two donations of £5,000 each in July and November 2022 from the charitable trust of Ocorian, a company based in Jersey. These donations were made possible by the connection we made with Ocorian’s MD Shane Hollywood, who refers to the work of Louis’s Foundation as ‘very valuable’.
In July, our family was blessed with a beautiful wedding held to celebrate the marriage of Louis’s sister Gabriella to Alex. There was no requirement of course, for guests to give a gift but it was a lovely and very thoughtful surprise when a number of guests chose to donate to Louis’s Foundation in lieu of a gift. The total gifted was £745. Thank you all!
We are also so grateful to the Nicholas family and the Furber family for their generous and continued financial support in 2022, assisting the work of Louis’s Foundation. Additionally, during the year, we have received many donations from individuals, some to mark Louis’s birthday on September 8th, some as a Christmas donation or some for no reason other than as a generous gesture of support. These donations total an amazing £1,513 and we are incredibly grateful. Thank you all!
Financial Review
Brief Statement of the Charity's Policy on Reserves
Gross receipts were down by 37.23% from £47,703 to £29,846 . This is mainly due to last year’s receipts reflecting the proceeds of the LRF Festival. As stated previously, this has skewed both the receipts and expenses figure across our five-year reporting, with this year’s figures better representing the norm. See below table:
| Income/Exps. | 01/06/2018 | 01/06/2019 | 01/06/2020 | 01/06/2021 | 01/06/2022 | 01/06/2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Gross Income |
£32.76K | £30.90k | £26.51k | £25.22k | £47.70k | £29.84k |
| Total Gross Exps ** |
£30.02k | £29.78k | £19.15k | £25.95 | £33.17k | £36.61 |
** this figure includes grants awarded
This year the Foundation made a total of £24,006 in grants to the organisations mentioned in this report. This represents an increase of 44% from £16,658 to £24,006. It is the aim of the Foundation to donate on a quarterly basis depending on funds availability. The grants / donations made in the financial year amount to 80% of gross receipts . It is the intention of the Foundation to maintain this level of giving - this will still allow sufficient funds to help source future fundraising activities.
Income received by the Foundation comes in two forms, fundraising and donations. This year has seen a decrease in the in-flow of funds from fundraising activities – specifically a decrease of £24,449 . This reflects the increased fundraising receipts obtained by the LRF Festival (see above). On the positive side, donations have increased in the year from £10,393 to £17,933 reflecting an increase in corporate donations in the year (see Donations to the Foundation section above for more detail).
Although gross expenditure has increased in the year from £33,168 to £36,606 , this figure includes awards granted which has increased in the year. Focusing on expenditure, net of awards granted there has been a decrease in expenditure by approximately £4,000 reflecting less spent on fundraising activities. The £11,320 fundraising expenses nearly all are associated with the LRF Festival 2 planned for next year and includes a £5,000 refundable damage deposit on the festival plot. Only £284 has been spent on administration costs (1.22%).
Cash at Bank has decreased by £6,760 at £78960. All funds are unrestricted.
Details of Any Funds Materially in Deficit
Not Applicable
Statutory Notes to the Accounts
Particulars of Any Outstanding Guarantee Given by the CIO
None
Particulars of Any Outstanding Debt
None
Declaration
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(s): Date: |
John M Ross Treasurer March 30, 2023 |
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|---|---|---|
| Penny A Ross Chair of Trustees March 30, 2023 |
The Louis Ross Foundation 1168723
Receipts and payments accounts
Period start date Period end date For the period from To June 2, 2022 June 1, 2023
Section A Receipts and payments
| Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 17,933 11,852 61 29,846 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 17,933 11,852 61 - - 29,846 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activity inperiod 02/06/21 to 01/06/22 | |||||
| Donations in Year | 17,933 | - | - | 17,933 | 10,393 |
| Fundraising in Year | 11,852 | - | - | 11,852 | 36,301 |
| Merchandise Sales | 61 | - | - | 61 | 1,009 |
| - | - | ||||
| Gift Aid | - | - | - | ||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | 29,846 | - | - | 29,846 | 47,703 |
| Asset and investment sales, (see table). | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Total receipts | 29,846 | - | - | 29,846 | 47,703 |
| Payments Activity inperiod 02/06/21 to 01/06/22 - Grants & Donations made 24,006 Fundraising& Advertising (LRF Festival) 11,320 Marketing 916 |
Payments Activity inperiod 02/06/21 to 01/06/22 - Grants & Donations made 24,006 Fundraising& Advertising (LRF Festival) 11,320 Marketing 916 |
- - - - |
- - - - |
- 24,006 11,320 916 |
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| Activity inperiod 02/06/21 to 01/06/22 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Grants & Donations made | 24,006 | - | - | 24,006 | 16,658 |
| Fundraising& Advertising (LRF Festival) | 11,320 | - | - | 11,320 | 15,689 |
| Marketing | 916 | - | - | 916 | 515 |
| Merchandise | - | - | - | - | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | |||||||
| Trustee Insurance | 260 | - | - | 260 | 260 | ||||
| Admin - software | 20 | 20 | |||||||
| Bank & Trx Fees | 84 | - | - | 84 | 46 | ||||
| **Sub total ** | 36,606 | - | - | 36,606 | 33,168 |
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
- - - - - - - - |
- - - - - - - - |
- - - 36,606 (6,760) - 85,720 78,960 |
- 33,168 14,535 - 71,185 85,720 Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - OK |
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| **Sub total ** | - | ||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
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| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end | of the period | ||||
| Categories B1 Cash funds |
Details | Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 78,646 156 158 78,960 OK |
Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - OK |
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| HSBC @ 01/06/23 | |||||
| PayPal @ 01/06/23 | |||||
| SumUp @ 01/06/23 |
B2 Other monetary assets
B3 Investment assets
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use
| Details | Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - |
Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
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| Details Details Details |
Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates |
Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Amount due (optional) - |
Current value (optional) |
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| Current value (optional) |
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B5 Liabilities
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Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
| Signature | Print Name John M Ross |
Date of approval |
|---|---|---|
| John M Ross | 08/04/2024 | |
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of li-Iril, irnP On accounts for the year ended Charity no (if any) l{ g8723 Set out on pages (rMombr to include the paae numbets of additional sheets) I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust.) for the year ended O 1106 / 2023. As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. Responsibilties and basis of report Independent tfhe charitys gross income exceeded £250,000 and l am qualified to examiner's statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of [insert name of applicable listed body]]. Delete [ ] if not applicable. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination tether 4+s61@*.) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records. or the accounts did 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 fairf view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concems 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. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. /qa q / Ltr-/io £(k Signed: Date: Name: Ohal Relevant professional qualification(s) or body fcc Fl IER Oct 2018
(if any): Address: IVY CoTfF6 HPifr)P Tafyj , fo o£*f, i)Tl I ET(J Section B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight material matters of conrn (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any Items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018