Bradford On Avon Station Footbridge Canopy Project
Charity Registration Number 1184339 .
Accounts from 1[st] June 2024 to 31[st] May 2025.
Accounts prepared by David Cowles BSc ACIB who considers them to be a fair and true reflection of the charity’s financial position as of 31[st] May 2025.
Background
Sixth set of accounts for CIO known as Bradford on Avon Station Footbridge Canopy Project to 31[st] May 2025. The Trust was created on the 9[th of] July 2019. These are 12month figures.
Introduction
Each year the Trustees of the charity are required to approve an annual report and accounts prepared in accordance with the requirements of The Charity Commission. This document, which must be available to the public covers the period 1[st] June 2024 to 31[st] May 2025.
Its purpose is to review the charity’s activities against the charity’s aims and objectives. Specifically, it contains information regarding the charity’s trustees and their appointment, constitution and financial affairs. It also includes a statement of the charity’s public benefit.
Trustees
The Trust’s constitution, powers, and the way it operates are set out in the constitution dated 9[th] July 2019, establishing the charity as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The constitution stipulates a minimum of 3 and maximum of 12 trustees.
The trustees as of 31[st] May 2025 were.
David Moss. Chairman David Cowles. Treasurer John Baxter Secretary Peter Mann John Potter Peter Leach
Patron
Lord Faulkner of Worcester
Offices
As it neither owns nor leases premises, the charity has no offices of its own. By courtesy of The Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust, the Trust’s office at Silver Street House, Silver Street, Bradford-on-Avon, BA15 1LL is used as the charity’s postal address.
Objectives, Public Benefit and Review of Activity
As set out in its constitution, the purpose ("object") of the charity is "The restoration and preservation for the public benefit of the canopy to the footbridge at Bradford-onAvon Railway Station, a grade II listed railway heritage site designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel".
Bradford On Avon's Grade II listed railway station was built to the most elaborate of the standard designs used by Brunel, resembling a lodge or estate house of the period, but built with local Bath Stone rather than the more commonly used bricks and mortar. The station is a rare reminder of the heyday of one of the Great Western Railway's main lines. A few years ago, the station was restored to Great Western traditional colours of Light Stone and Dark Stone but although the footbridge was repaired and refurbished, it still lacks the original canopy, which was removed in the mid-1960s in the brief that this would reduce maintenance costs. The charity aims to replace the canopy to restore the station to its historical and original appearance, freely available to see for all interested in this aspect of our past.
A professional engineering report confirmed that the refurbished footbridge can easily take the weight of a new canopy. Network Rail (NR) support our project and have agreed to take on long-term maintenance once the canopy is back in place.
We have developed a Risk Register to help ensure the project runs smoothly.
Fund raising and Project progress.
Important progress has been made in the last three years and the charity has continued to work closely with our architects, Oxford Architects, an accredited company specialising in heritage work on NR, Network Rail Asset Management teams, Great Western Railway who have provided a £15K grant, the Severnside Community Rail Partnership and through them the DfT Community Rail Development Fund who between them have facilitated £15,059K of matching funding. We also have stakeholder links with Wiltshire Council Planning Department and local heritage and preservation organisations.
Towards the end of this accounting period, we secured Approval in Principle (AiP) for the project from Network Rail. This approval had been delayed by a change of policy by Network Rail: initially they had aid that they would accept use of accoya timber for parts of the structure but this changed with use of GRP/FRP (glass reinforced plastic/fibre reinforced plastic) being required instead. Achievement of AiP clears the way for us to begin fundraising for the next, full design stage of the project.
In the meantime, we are undertaking, along with the Friends of Bradford on Avon Station, maintenance work on the footbridge as preparation for the major works which are to follow and to help preserve the fabric of the bridge.
Summary Income Statement Income £ Grant GWR. 250 Total Income. 250 Expenditure Development Costs. 3030 Bank charges. 61 Total Expenditure. 3091 Income Shortfall 2841 Balance Sheet Current Assets Cash. 1932 Total Assets. 1932 Current Liabilities Nil Net Assets . 1932 Reserves B/Fwd. 4773 Income shortfall. 2841 Total Reserves. 1932