Annual Report & Returns
Financial year ending: 31st March 2024
Charity Number: 1183414
Trustees
Dr Samuel Thomas Miss Natalie Thomas
Mr Edward Thomas
Charity Number : 1183413
Auditors: Cheney & Co. 310 Wellingborough Rd, Northampton, NN1 4EP
Accountants: Cheney & Co. 310 Wellingborough Rd, Northampton, NN1 4EP
Bank: Barclays, 8 Market Street, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 1AT
Solicitors: Macfarlanes LLP, 20 Cursitor Street, Holborn, London, EC4A 1LT
Advisory capacity: Daniel Johnson, social worker.
Trustees Report for financial year ending 31st March 2024 .
The Thomas Brington Foundation Trustees present their annual report and annual return for the financial year ending 2024.
Structure, Governance and Management
The foundation registered with the charity commission on 14th May 2019. It was established following an initial gift from Robert Thomas, founder of Bob Thomas Sports Photography (BTSP). A proportion of royalties from BTSP image sales will then form an income stream to the foundation to ensure it can continue its work. The foundation does not actively fund-raise and aims to continue charitable work desired by Robert Thomas through management of its current resources and the continued production of income from photographic royalties.
At present the income stream from BTSP still comes in the form of an annual lump sum of £30,000. The current trustees are all first trustees, as per our constitution there must always be 3 trustees.
At quarterly trustee meetings, the trustees agree broad strategy for grant making and have all contributed to the administrative tasks of setting up and running a charitable foundation. All work undertaken by the trustees is done on a voluntary basis, there is no financial remuneration for the trustees. The only expenditures the foundation incurs is a fee for a website domain, the use of an accountant for generation and filing of independent examiners report and annual returns. From 2023 we have sought the paid advice of Daniel Johnson a social worker based in north Northamptonshire to help provide background information on the applicants and to highlight the merits of each application in order to help us make more informed decisions regarding funding.
All trustees are subject to the requirements of the foundation’s constitution with regards to the conflict of interest register, risk register and reserves and investments policy. These are reviewed regularly and detailed below:
Risk management - the trustees consider the risks the foundation may be exposed to. The only potential risk that the foundation would be a fall in income due to poor returns from the photographic royalties of BTSP.
Conflict of Interest - the trustees are required at each meeting to consider and declare any potential conflict of interest they may hold. As the trustees operate on a voluntary basis and have no affiliation with other charitable organisations there is minimal potential for conflicts of interest however Dr Thomas does occasionally have reason to signpost or refer patients to some of the organisations that are funded by the foundation, these are declared on our conflicts of interests register and Dr Thomas abstains from voting on these organisations when allocating grants.
Reserves & Investments - The foundation currently provides grants with the funds it receives annually so the foundation does not currently require an active investments policy. This is constantly being reviewed. Similarly, the policy on a reserve amount to be held is yet to be set. With the knowledge of a continued income stream, providing meaningful grants in the first year was prioritised over having a reserve figure. This is reviewed at least once a year during trustee meetings.
Grant Making
There is an annual deadline for grant proposals/applications from local charities and organisations. Following this deadline (which is often early in the calendar year) the trustees will meet as one of the quarterly meetings to discuss the grant applications and decide which proposals merit funding for up to £10,000 per proposal that year.
Currently the Foundation has a budget of £30,000 for grants per annum. Typically we make three grants of £10,000 each. However we are flexible, and if smaller grants are requested these may be approved, always provided that we remain within our budget.
The criteria for an application is that the charity must operate in Northamptonshire and that they work to prevent or relieve homelessness or its sequelae (namely addiction or substance misuse).
Charities and organisations are able to apply by downloading and completing an application from found at www.thomasbringtonfoundation.org or by filling in an online template through the same website.
Objectives & Aims
The main aims of the foundation are to fund education, prevention and relief of homelessness in Northamptonshire.
Providing financial grants to existing charities and organisations that work towards these ends. The foundation aims to assist those charities and organisations that perhaps do not always qualify for government funding, those that ‘fall through the cracks’ in the system.
The beneficiaries of the grants are, to date, predominantly registered charities with the exception of one, which was a charitable branch of a housing group aimed at relieving homelessness.
Review of Activity 2024
4 grants were agreed in the 2023-2024 financial year.
The grants issued for 2024 were as follows:
1. Accommodation Concern - Resettlement Project - £6000 - registered charity number 1146257
New project to the foundation; this project aims to help and support individuals who are moving from temporary and supported accommodation into a permanent tenancy. Their aim is to support a minimum of 40 individuals over the course of a year. Support was to include, claiming eligible benefits and ensure the first payment is received, setting up utilities such as gas, electricity, water and phone lines, setting up payments plans, accessing household essentials, developing the skills necessary to manage their tenancy and facilitating access to additional support needs such as mental health or addiction. Beneficiaries will be taught to understand their rights and responsibilities as a tenant, paying rent, budgeting and dealing with debt.
Visited by Eddie Thomas (Trustee)
“On 13th December 2024, I visited Accommodation Concern’s headquarters in Kettering and met with CEO Jo Moore and Operations Manager, John Perry. They provided an overview of their work before giving me a tour of their offices, call centre, one-on-one support rooms, and food bank.
Over the course of 2024 our funding was dedicated to reducing first-year tenancy failures, a significant issue for many housing associations. Their efforts have resulted in a 98% success rate in maintaining tenancies. Up to the point of my visit, the program has supported 52 individuals. More broadly, their advice centre handles approximately 4,500 cases annually, with many clients requiring assistance on multiple issues. Through this work, Accommodation Concern has secured an estimated £3.5 million for their clients, including £800,000 in debt write-offs and the remainder in access to previously unclaimed benefits such as PIP.
During our discussion, Jo Moore provided feedback on our application process, suggesting that the form be converted from a PDF to a Word document to make digital completion easier.”
2. Baby Basics - Good foundations for all - £6000 - registered charity number 1168449
Charity has been supported twice previously by the foundation. continuing their current work of providing newborn packs, winter packs, equipment to new mothers who cannot afford things for newborns. Previously received positive feedback from the organisation regarding the impact of these newborn packs and how they can help facilitate getting new mothers home sooner from hospital with their babies by ensuring they have all the necessary equipment and pieces in order to successfully look after their newborns.
3. Daventry Foodbank - Food Parcels £8000 - registered charity number 1128805
Previously supported by the foundation last year, a very clear and direct aim, providing food parcels to households with limited funds dealing with the ongoing cost of living crisis, ensuring individuals are able to continue to pay their bills and trying to prevent people falling into debt or going hungry.
A visit to the Daventry food bank was made by Eddie Thomas (Trustee) to see firsthand how the money had been used.
“During my visit to the Daventry Food Bank on 11th December 2024, I had the opportunity to meet again with Angela Gee, the head of the organisation, and see firsthand the vital work being done to support the local community. They were operating from a temporary building loaned to them for the Christmas period by Daventry Council. Christmas hampers were being packed and prepared for Children and Elderly people.
The food bank continues to see steady use, and while additional facilities— such as a community larder—have helped expand the support available, demand has now plateaued. Looking ahead, Angela and her team are
considering a move to a larger space next year, which would allow them to further develop their services and reach even more people in need."
4. Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service - support for domestic abuse victims with no recourse to public funds - £10,0000 - registered charity number: 1070741.
Funded £10,000 for the second time to continue establishing this much needed service to provide shelter and support for domestic abuse sufferers who have recently entered the UK seeking asylum and have no recourse to public funds for financial support/housing etc.
As per our previous annual report information: Northamptonshire has a higher proportion of people in this situation as we have truck stops on major transport routes from major ports such as Dover and Felixstowe, meaning that Northamptonshire is often the first place HGVs will stop after arriving in the UK - Domestic abuse survivors with no recourse to public funds do not exclusively come to Northamptonshire via this route however, but it is relevant as it likely increases the total number of individuals requiring this type of support relative to other counties/regions in the UK. These individuals subsequently settle in Northamptonshire and being from unstable domestic environments with no ability to claim benefits or access support, they will frequently end up homeless or at risk of further abuse.
Plans for the future
Our website will have documented testimonials from organisations to demonstrate first hand the outcomes of successful grant proposals following their implementation.
The foundation will continue to receive grant proposals, working towards an annual review deadline and subsequent grant distribution each year.
We have streamlined our application process so that there is now an online template to be filled in rather than one that needs to be printed off and filled in.
We will be seeking further feedback from applicants regarding our application process and how this can be improved.
REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: CE017499 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1183414
Report of the Trustees and
Unaudited Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31st May 2024
for
The Thomas Brington Foundation
Cheney & Co 310 Wellingborough Road Northampton NN1 4EP
The Thomas Brington Foundation
Contents of the Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31st May 2024
| Page | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 1 | to | 2 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 3 | ||
| Statement of Financial Activities | 4 | ||
| Balance Sheet | 5 | ||
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 6 | to | 9 |
| Detailed Statement of Financial Activities | 10 |
The Thomas Brington Foundation
Report of the Trustees For The Year Ended 31st May 2024
The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st May 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objectives and aims
To provide relief of poverty and homelessness in the UK by providing grants to charities and other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty.
Public benefit
The Charity is a public benefit entity and the trustees believe they have met the Charity Commission's public benefit criteria.
ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Charitable activities
The Charity has been successful in its handing out of grants to projects working to prevent or relieve poverty and homelessness.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Reserves policy
The trustees' reserves policy is to ensure that there are adequate resources available to continue the charitable activities of the organisation. To this end the trustees have managed the reserves prudently and have a balance of £103,865 at the year end.
The donations received have increased this year which has resulted in a surplus for the year of £94,489.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
The recruitment and appointment of trustees will rest with the trustees after determining whether their assistance will benefit the charity from the skills they offer to assist in the ruling and governing of the Charity.
Organisational structure
The Charity is made up of the three trustees and as such there is no specific formal organisational structure.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Company number
CE017499 (England and Wales)
Registered Charity number
1183414
Registered office
33 Charter Gate Quarry Park Close Moulton Park Northampton Northamptonshire NN3 6QB
Trustees
Mr E D Thomas Trustee Miss N A Thomas Trustee Dr S R Thomas Trustee
Independent Examiner
P A Sparks Cheney & Co 310 Wellingborough Road Northampton NN1 4EP
Page 1
The Thomas Brington Foundation
Report of the Trustees For The Year Ended 31st May 2024
STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES
The trustees of The Thomas Brington Foundation are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements 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, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. 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.
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 4th March 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Dr S R Thomas - Trustee
Page 2
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of The Thomas Brington Foundation
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Thomas Brington Foundation ('the Company')
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31st May 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 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:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or
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the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).
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.
P A Sparks
Cheney & Co 310 Wellingborough Road Northampton NN1 4EP
4th March 2025
Page 3
The Thomas Brington Foundation
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies EXPENDITURE ON Charitable activities MAIN NET INCOME RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD |
Statement of Financial Activities For The Year Ended 31st May 2024 2024 Unrestricted fund Notes £ 125,000 30,511 94,489 9,376 103,865 |
2023 Total funds £ 30,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 24,893 | ||
| 5,107 4,269 |
||
| 9,376 |
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 4
The Thomas Brington Foundation
Balance Sheet
31st May 2024
| 2024 Unrestricted fund Notes £ CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 5 25,000 Cash at bank 6 79,231 104,231 CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 7 (366) NET CURRENT ASSETS 103,865 TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 103,865 NET ASSETS 103,865 FUNDS 8 Unrestricted funds 103,865 TOTAL FUNDS 103,865 |
2023 Total funds £ - 9,724 9,724 (348) 9,376 9,376 9,376 9,376 9,376 |
|---|---|
The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31st May 2024.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31st May 2024 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for
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(a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
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(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 4th March 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:
Dr S R Thomas - Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 5
The Thomas Brington Foundation
Notes to the Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31st May 2024
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of preparing the financial statements
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
The presentation currency of the financial statements is the Pound Sterling (£).
Income
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Expenditure
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Grants offered subject to conditions which have not been met at the year end date are noted as a commitment but not accrued as expenditure.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
2. GRANTS PAYABLE
| GRANTS PAYABLE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAIN | 2024 £ 30,000 |
2023 £ 24,200 |
||
| 2024 | 2023 | |||
| £ | £ | |||
| Daventry Vineyard | 8,000 | 4,200 | ||
| Baby Basics | 6,000 | 10,000 | ||
| Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service | 10,000 | 10,000 | ||
| Accommodation | 6,000 | - | ||
| Total grants to institutions | £30,000 | £24,200 | ||
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The Thomas Brington Foundation
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued For The Year Ended 31st May 2024
3. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31st May 2024 nor for the year ended 31st May 2023.
Trustees' expenses
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31st May 2024 nor for the year ended 31st May 2023.
4. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies EXPENDITURE ON Charitable activities MAIN NET INCOME RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 5. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Other debtors 6. CASH AT BANK Bank account Total |
Unrestricted fund £ 30,000 24,893 5,107 4,269 9,376 2024 2023 £ £ 25,000 - 2024 2023 Total Total funds funds £ £ 79,231 9,724 79,231 9,724 |
Unrestricted fund £ 30,000 24,893 5,107 4,269 9,376 2024 2023 £ £ 25,000 - 2024 2023 Total Total funds funds £ £ 79,231 9,724 79,231 9,724 |
Unrestricted fund £ 30,000 24,893 5,107 4,269 9,376 2024 2023 £ £ 25,000 - 2024 2023 Total Total funds funds £ £ 79,231 9,724 79,231 9,724 |
Unrestricted fund £ 30,000 24,893 5,107 4,269 9,376 2024 2023 £ £ 25,000 - 2024 2023 Total Total funds funds £ £ 79,231 9,724 79,231 9,724 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24,893 | |||||
| 5,107 4,269 |
|||||
| 9,376 | |||||
| 2023 £ - 2023 Total funds £ 9,724 9,724 |
|||||
Cash at bank is held to meet short term cash commitments as they fall due and includes all cash equivalents held in the form of short term highly liquid investments. A cash equivalent will normally have a short maturity date of, say, three months from the date of acquisition.
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The Thomas Brington Foundation
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued For The Year Ended 31st May 2024
7. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
| Accruals and deferred income 8. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS At 1.6.23 £ Unrestricted funds General fund 9,376 TOTAL FUNDS 9,376 Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Incoming resources £ Unrestricted funds General fund 125,000 TOTAL FUNDS 125,000 Comparatives for movement in funds At 1.6.22 £ Unrestricted funds General fund 4,269 TOTAL FUNDS 4,269 Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Incoming resources £ Unrestricted funds General fund 30,000 TOTAL FUNDS 30,000 |
2024 2023 £ £ 366 348 Net movement At in funds 31.5.24 £ £ 94,489 103,865 94,489 103,865 Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (30,511) 94,489 (30,511) 94,489 Net movement At in funds 31.5.23 £ £ 5,107 9,376 5,107 9,376 Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (24,893) 5,107 (24,893) 5,107 |
2024 2023 £ £ 366 348 Net movement At in funds 31.5.24 £ £ 94,489 103,865 94,489 103,865 Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (30,511) 94,489 (30,511) 94,489 Net movement At in funds 31.5.23 £ £ 5,107 9,376 5,107 9,376 Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (24,893) 5,107 (24,893) 5,107 |
2023 £ 348 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,107 |
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continued...
The Thomas Brington Foundation
Notes to the Financial Statements - continued For The Year Ended 31st May 2024
8. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows:
| Net | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| movement | At | ||
| At 1.6.22 | in funds | 31.5.24 | |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Unrestricted funds | |||
| General fund | 4,269 | 99,596 | 103,865 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 4,269 | 99,596 | 103,865 |
A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
| Incoming | Resources | Movement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| resources | expended | in funds | |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Unrestricted funds | |||
| General fund | 155,000 | (55,404) | 99,596 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 155,000 | (55,404) | 99,596 |
9. CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
There were no contingent liabilities at 31st May 2024 or 31st May 2023.
10. CAPITAL COMMITMENTS
There were no capital commitments at 31st May 2024 or 31st May 2023.
11. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES
There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31st May 2024.
Page 9
The Thomas Brington Foundation
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS Donations and legacies Donations Total incoming resources EXPENDITURE Charitable activities Grants payable Support costs Finance Accountancy fees Computer expenses Consultancy Total resources expended Net income |
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities For The Year Ended 31st May 2024 |
2024 £ 125,000 125,000 30,000 366 145 - 511 30,511 94,489 |
2023 £ 30,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30,000 24,200 348 145 200 |
|||
| 693 | |||
| 24,893 | |||
| 5,107 |
This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements
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