# **The Hospital of James Knowles CIO Charity Number 1176384**
## **Annual Report and Financial Statements**
**Year ended 31[st] March 2025**
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## **THE HOSPITAL OF JAMES KNOWLES CIO REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
**Registered Charity Number** 1176384 **Trustees** Mrs S Glossop Mrs J Mason Mrs C Proctor Ms M Brierley Mrs C Bettridge **Secretary** Mrs C Bettridge **Contact address** Moorgate Cottage 7 Maypole Green Long Preston Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 4PJ **Bankers** Unity Trust Bank **Independent Examiner** M R Heaton FCCA FCIE DChA KM 1[st] Floor, Block C The Wharf Manchester Road Burnley Lancashire BB11 1JG
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## **THE HOSPITAL OF JAMES KNOWLES CIO**
## **TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT**
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2025.
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
The principal activity of the charity is the provision of residences for persons in need, resident in and/or connected with the Parish of Long Preston, Hellifield and Halton West. The Trustees of the Charity are charged with managing the assets of the Charity - the almshouses, agricultural land and invested monies - to support its principal activity and preserve the homes for future generations.
The trustees have continued to provide seven high-quality almshouse accommodation for the benefit of existing residents. The trustees have provided additional financial support to almshouse residents, which would not be available from other sources, for example paying for the warden call service and local authority warden support service, thus enabling very elderly residents to remain in their own homes. The work of the charity ensures that the valuable resource of having local almshouses, providing low cost housing for those of retirement age, will be preserved for the benefit of future generations.
## **Financial Review**
The Charity is funded by charging a Weekly Maintenance Contribution (WMC) to residents of the almshouses and renting agricultural land. Interest is received on its financial investments. The agricultural land is let on agricultural tenancies. Financial investments are held with COIF and M & G Charifund. The trustees, mindful that their primary objective is to maximise return on investments, do not have a policy on social, environmental or ethical investment.
In the year there has been a significant amount of money spent on improving the cottages. The back gardens have been dug out and replaced with hardcore and gravel to improve safety for the residents. Each cottage now has a new boiler, this was a big financial cost, but it will improve the efficiency of the heating and keeps the cottages in a good state of repair. Consumer units in the cottages have been replaced, the alarms have been checked and if needed they have been upgraded and old wiring has also been checked over and replaced where necessary. The charity had enough funds to carry out the above improvements and saw this as good use of these funds.
During the year land was sold amounting to £31,892 net of legal fees.
Unrestricted investments and cash balances amounting to £173,477 (2024: £144,447) are held to cover budgeted expenses in a year and to assist in the financing of future development of the charity. The Weekly Maintenance Contribution from residents and agricultural rents are reviewed regularly.
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## **THE HOSPITAL OF JAMES KNOWLES CIO**
## **TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT (continued)**
## **Plans for future periods**
To maintain the existing almshouse accommodation by making any repairs and/or improvements as and when they become necessary and are indicated by the quinquennial inspection which took place this year.
To manage the assets of the Charity to ensure sufficient funds are available to carry out the objects of the Charity, as stated previously, in the short term and secure the almshouses for future generations.
## **Public benefit**
In accordance with their objectives for this year, and with due regard to the published Charity Commission guidance on the operation of the Public Benefit requirements of the Charities Act 2006, the trustees have undertaken appropriate activities in furtherance of these aims for the public benefit.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Governing document**
The charity is a Foundation CIO which is governed by its constitution dated 19[th] December 2017.
On appointment, the objects of the Charity and management procedures are explained and the Trustee is then asked to sign the appropriate declaration of trust and declare any conflicts of interest.
The Charity is run by the Trustee body, which elects a Chairperson and employs a Secretary/Treasurer, and retains professional advisors: Solicitor, Accountant and Land Agent, to provide advice and guidance on management issues. Management decisions are taken at Trustees meetings, often on the advice of its professional advisors, and day-to-day management is carried out by the Secretary/Treasurer.
## **Risk Assessment**
The Trustees have carried out a detailed review of the Charity's activities and produced a comprehensive plan setting out the risks to which it was exposed. A strategy has been implemented to establish systems and procedures to mitigate those risks identified. These will be reviewed annually.
Approved by the trustees on 30/10/2025 and signed on their behalf by:
Ms M Brierley - Trustee
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## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE HOSPITAL OF JAMES KNOWLES CIO**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the period ended 31[st] March 2025.
## **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 matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
- (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.
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.
M R Heaton FCCA FCIE DChA KM 1[st] Floor, Block C, The Wharf Burnley Lancashire BB11 1JG
30/10/2025
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## **THE HOSPITAL OF JAMES KNOWLES CIO**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**
|**RECEIPTS**
Contribution from residents
Rents received
Income from listed investments
Bank interest received
Sale of land
**Total receipts**
**PAYMENTS**
Wages
Rates and water
Insurance and trustees’ indemnity insurance
Light and heat
Telephone
Postage and stationery
Repairs, refurbishment and maintenance
Trade subscription
Warden call service
Gardener
Cleaning
Admin and miscellaneous
Advertising
Accountancy fees
Professional fees
Council tax
Bank charges
**Total payments**
Net of receipts (payments)
Cash funds brought forward
Cash funds carried forward|**Unrestricted**
**Funds (£)**
**Unrestricted**
**Funds (£)**
**31.03.25**
**31.03.24**
24,490
24,490
1,300
-
-
183
1,963
2,202|
|---|---|
||27,753
26,875
31,892
99,194|
||59,645
126,069|
||3,900
2,950
2,688
1,337
1,551
1,484
564
720
-
-
-
116
27,624
13,429
1,201
50
-
1,050
9,460
1,813
204
1,320
299
114
-
-
1,170
990
972
6,809
-
1,250
71
311|
||49,704
33,781|
|||
||9,941
92,288|
|||
||93,761
1,473|
|||
||103,702
93,761|
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## **THE HOSPITAL OF JAMES KNOWLES CIO**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31[st] MARCH 2025**
|**PERMANENT ENDOWMENT FUND**
Agricultural land
Investments: COIF income units
**GENERAL FUND**
Almshouses at cost less grants received
Investments:
COIF income units
COIF accumulation units
Charifund accumulation units
Bank:
Bank current and deposit accounts
**LIABILITIES**
Accountancy/independent examination|**2025**
**2024**
17,201
18,042
193,706
193,706
9,147
9,594
16,151
16,478
27,276
24,614
103,702
93,761|
|---|---|
||**367,183**
**338,153**|
|||
||**990**
**990**|
These accounts were approved by the trustees on 30/10/2025 and signed on their behalf by:
## Ms M Brierley - Trustee
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## **THE HOSPITAL OF JAMES KNOWLES CIO**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
- 1 Basis of preparation These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charities Act 2011.
- 2 Fund Accounting
- (a) Unrestricted funds are those that can be expended at the discretion of the trustees in the furtherance of the objects of the charity
- (b) Endowment funds arise from the original trust.
- 3 Taxation The charity is not liable to tax on its charitable activities. The charity is not registered for VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the expense to which it relates.
- 4 Transactions with trustees
- No remuneration nor expenses were paid to trustees or any persons connected with them during the period.
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