**Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO**
## **Annual Report and Accounts**
31 March 2025
Charity Registration Number 1185348 (England and Wales)
**Reference and Administrative Details of the Charity, its Trustees and Advisers** 1
## **Contents**
## **Report of the Trustees**
|**WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT**||
|---|---|
|Introduction|4|
|Arc One – Our Foundress and her Vision||
|Arc Two –Province Leadership Team||
|Arc Three – Communication||
|Arc Four – Traditional Ministries||
|Arc Five – Financial Support||
|
**FUTURE PLANS**|**28**|
|**FINANCIAL REVIEW**|**29**|
|Income||
|Expenditure||
|Tangible Fixed Assets||
|Results for the Year||
|Investment Performance||
|Reserves Policy||
|Financial Position||
|**PROPERTY – SALES, DONATIONS, ONGOING DEVELOPMENT,**||
|**MAINTENANCE POLICIES, REPORTS AND PLANS**|**33**|
|**GOVERNANCE, TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND**||
|**RISK MANAGEMENT**|**36**|
|Governance||
|Trustees’ Responsibilities Statement||
|Risk Management||
|**SUMMARY AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS**|**40**|
|**Auditor’s report and accounts**||
|**Independent Auditor’s Report**|**41**|
|**Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities**|**45**|
|**Charity Statement of Financial Activities**|**46**|
|**Consolidated and Charity Balance Sheets**|**47**|
|**Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows**|**48**|
|**Principal Accounting Policies**|**49**|
|**Notes to the Accounts**|**56**|
## **Reference and administration details of the charity, its trustees and advisers**
|**Trustees**|Sister Claire Dawson C.P.|
|---|---|
||Sister Margaret Gorman C.P. (Sister Carmel)|
||Sister Margaret O’Regan C.P. (Sister Therese)|
||Sister Margaret Steed C.P. (Sister Savio) (Resigned 15|
||August 2025)|
||Sister Eithne Donoghue (Appointed 15 August 2025)|
||Sister Maureen McNally (Appointed 15 August 2025)|
||Sister Marie McNeice (Appointed 15 August 2025)|
|**ROI Committee**|Sister Máire Ni Shúilleabháin C.P.|
||Sister Anne Harnett C.P.|
||Sister Claire Dawson C.P.|
||Sister Carmel Miley C. P.|
|**Province Leader**|Sister Margaret O’Regan C.P. (Sister Therese)|
|**Province Bursar**|Mrs Sakina Lowe|
|**Principal address**|The Briery Retreat Centre|
||38 Victoria Avenue|
||Ilkley|
||West Yorkshire|
||LS29 9BW|
|Telephone|0161 655 3184|
|Email|pltcpSisters@gmail.com|
|Website|www.crossandpassion.com|
|**ROI Committee Address**|13 Clare Road|
||Drumcondra|
||Dublin 9|
|Telephone|01 837 5511|
|Chairperson|Sister Clare Dawson|
|**Charity Registration Number**||
|**England and Wales**|1185348|
|**Accountants**|Buzzacott Audit LLP|
||130 Wood Street|
||London|
||EC2V 6DL|
|**Auditors**|Saffery LLP|
||10 Wellington Place|
||Leeds|
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **1**
## **Reference and administration details of the charity, its trustees and advisers**
LS1 4AP **Investment Managers** Sarasin & Partners LLP Juxon House 100 St Paul’s Churchyard London EC4M 8BU Charles Stanley & Co Limited 55 Bishopsgate London EC2N 3AS **Principle bankers** Royal Bank of Scotland plc 1 Dale Street Liverpool L2 2PP Bank of Ireland 2 College Green Dublin 2, D02 VR66 **Solicitors – England and Wales** Wrigleys Solicitors LLP 3rd Floor, 3 Wellington Place Leeds LS1 4AP **Solicitors – Northern Ireland** Conway, Todd & Co 22 Market Square Antrim BT41 4DT Edwards & Co 28 Hill Street Belfast BT1 2LA **Solicitors – the Republic of Ireland** Mason Hayes + Curran South Bank House Barrow Street Dublin 4, D04 TR29
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **2**
## **Reference and administration details of the charity, its trustees and advisers**
**Finance and General Purposes** Elizabeth Wilson, Wrigley’s Solicitors **Committee** Amanda Francis Andrew Mather, CS2 **Insurance Brokers** Steve Burns, Marsh Insurance, UK Liam Conlon, Arachas, Ireland **Energy Broker** Charles Lowe, EnergyFlowe Limited, UK
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **3**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
The Trustees present their statutory report, together with the accounts of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO (the ‘Charity’ or ‘CIO’), for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on pages 49 to 55 and comply with the Charity’s Constitution and the Charities Act 2011. The accounts also comply with 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 United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT**
## **Introduction**
The Sisters of the Cross and Passion is an international Roman Catholic Religious Congregation founded in industrial England in 1852. It is divided into a number of individual areas and provinces under the authority of the Congregational Leadership Team (CLT), members of which reside in the UK, the USA, Chile and Australia, their offices are in Larne, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The Sisters in St Paul’s Province live in England, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. The accounts accompanying this report are those of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO, on which the assets of St Paul’s Province were held during the year to 31 March 2024. The Charity is governed by the constitutions of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO dated 17 September 2019 and is registered with the Charity Commission:
Charity Registration Number England and Wales 1185348 Charity Registration Number Republic of Ireland 20015893
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **4**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
## **Arc One - Our Foundress and her vision**
The corporate mission of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion is to witness to the reconciling, forgiving and compassionate love of God through openness to the needs of the world and especially those of the poor and marginalised.
The Sisters of the Cross and Passion identify with Christ in his Passion, Death and Resurrection. We aspire to a more just and compassionate world, where the rights and dignity of the whole of creation are upheld and respected.
What follows is an account of the work of the CIO from April 2024 – March 2025
The objectives of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion, as stated in the constitution of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO, are the relief of poverty, the provision
of relief assistance and comfort to the sick, the provision of education and the advancement of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church (or other such charitable purposes as are lawfully authorised from time to time by the constitutions of the Congregation) by such means as are suited to the time and place in which the provision is to be made.
## **Arc Two - Province Leadership Team**
To fulfil these objectives, the members of the Province Leadership Team, PLT, regularly evaluate their pastoral activities in the light of the Congregation’s charism, present day needs and requests for help in both old and new ministries. They continue to evaluate their pastoral activities in the light of the diminishing number of sisters, increasing age profile and decreasing financial resources. Policies and procedures are reviewed and updated regularly in accordance with statutory regulations and congregational objectives.
We are covenanted to be bearers of the compassion of God by responding to the needs of the world in our time, as Venerable Elizabeth Prout, our foundress, did in hers.
## _**Our Lay Bursar’s Role**_
Our lay bursar continues to show just how many skills she has and is willing to use them on our behalf. Her responsibilities include managing our Care Home Managers and Retreat Directors and she is available to assist them in daily tasks of caring for the Sisters in our care homes and the smooth running of our Retreat Houses. Her salary is reviewed annually.
## _**ROI Committee**_
Realising that the area covered by the charity includes the communities in the Republic of Ireland, the Trustees invited three Sisters in Dublin to form an ROI Committee with one of the PLT Trustees as the Chair of this committee. This has worked well. A report from this committee is now an item on the monthly Trustees’ CIO agenda.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **5**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
## **Arc Two - Province Leadership Team** (continued)
## _**Archivist**_
One Sister is engaged full-time in preserving the archives of the Province. She ensures that all collections are sorted, carefully stored and remain confidential. She is also the archivist for the entire congregational archives. Finding a permanent home for the storage of our archives still remains one of our goals. Sister often receives requests especially from families interested in developing their own family trees and she is very thorough in her research when responding to such requests.
Our Sr Archivist is also a historian and enjoys delving into old Documents and gathering stories. She took a special delight in recounting the early days of our Cross and Passion Foundation in USA. The 5[th] of May 2024 was a day of Celebrations throughout the Provinces.
## _**Province Secretary**_
Our new Confidential Secretary began work on Monday 13[th] February 2023, lives locally and now has a working knowledge of our Communities. During this last year she has assisted the PLT, using her technology skills, especially when we decided to minimise our storage of paper files and documents and has scanned many old documents to the Cloud.
## **Arc Three - Communication**
## _**Communication throughout the Province:**_
To assist the Province Leadership Team, we continued to have two-way communication with our Sisters in the Province using gatherings by Zoom. Through good communication the PLT encourages the Sisters in their ministries and supports them as they reach out and develop new ministries, mostly now in a volunteering capacity.
## _**Province Zoom**_
Restriction to travel in 2021 gave us an opportunity to develop our use of technology and meetings by Zoom were encouraged. One such meeting was the Province Zoom which continues to be held monthly. This enables Sisters to meet, albeit virtually, and to listen to up to date news and developments. It also gives them the opportunity to share ideas and items of interest from their communities. During these meetings we try to keep alive the decisions made during the Chapter of August 2022, so that they make a difference in our lives and those among whom we minister.
One of the themes which has exercised our minds since January 2025 is the theme of Structures. Our 2022 Chapter invited us “To explore alternative Structures available to us which will enable us to live out our Mission, given the needs of our changing world.” To this end we have called on our Finance and General Purposes team to assist us on a way forward. In February 2024 we met with them on an away day in the Briery Retreat House. This proved a very valuable experience and we came away with a plan on a way to begin initial steps. These we share with the Sisters during our Province Gatherings. This work is ongoing.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **6**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
## **Arc Three – Communication** (continued)
## _**Province Zoom** (continued)_
While Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation remain an integral part of our spirituality, at the Province Chapter in August 2022 we strengthened this statement by inserting Pope Francis’s statement on Care of our Common Home, to listen to the Cry of the Earth and Cry of the poor. We call on each Sister to grow in awareness of the poor in her local area and do something concrete. One Sister in Dublin plays an active part in helping serve meals to the homeless poor and/or refugees and migrants. We ask too that each Community “Buy locally and seasonally to cut down on transport and reduce our carbon foot print.” In two communities raised beds are prepared for growing vegetables to reduce the food cost for a few weeks during the year.
## _**Ecology Group**_
In 2021 many Sisters attended the Laudato Si’ Zoom meetings set up by the Laudato Si’ Animators. Following these meetings we agreed to form an internal group of Sisters who were interested in growing in awareness of the issues set out by Pope Francis. We are known as the Ecology Group and we meet once a month by Zoom and share on our activities or some topic relating to Laudato Si’. The theme of Laudato Si’ week in May 2024 was “Seeds of Hope”. We are conscious that we can only do small things but by coming together and sharing, we can plant seeds of hope as we continue to pray, share, listen, learn and hope we make a difference for the sake of our common home.
## _**Paul’s Post**_
The previous Provincial team set up a weekly newsletter which is called St. Paul’s Post. Our new Secretary has brought her own unique skills in continuing to make this weekly newsletter one which the Sisters enjoy reading. It is also uploaded to our website. It is a way of communicating with the Sisters of the wider international Cross and Passion Communities. Sisters are encouraged to send items of interest, happenings or celebrations from their own community so all can enjoy. Through these pages we are encouraged to pray for sick Sisters, family members, or people in the wider parish Communities who ask for our prayers.
## **Arc Four – Traditional Ministries**
1. Education
2. Parish Work
3. Counselling
4. Le Chéile Trust
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**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **1 Education**
- Teacher’s Enterprise in Religious Education
- Le Chéile Trust
- Leeds Trinity University
Whilst the apostolate of the Sisters in earlier years was very strongly based in teaching, Sisters, who have vast experience in education, now bring their skills to assisting new teachers to become expert in their field especially of passing on the tenets of the Catholic Faith.
- **Teachers’ Enterprise in Religious Education**
- **“** _The mission of the Teachers’ Enterprise in Religious Education (TERE) is to support teachers in Catholic schools and in the wider Christian community in their daily task of unfolding for teachers and pupils the mystery of God, the teaching of the Church and its application to daily life.”_
Its objectives are to:
- Promote the teaching of religious education with the same academic rigour as the other subjects in the curriculum;
- Provide opportunities for teachers to deepen their theological understanding of the Christian faith and its application to daily life;
- Create a variety of resources, for example text books, website with online interactive elements for classroom use, CD ROMS etc.
- Provide advice and assistance to teachers and schools in the teaching of religious education.
One Sister is involved as a full-time director in this project. The New Syllabus which is being worked on is in response to the 2023 Edition of the ‘Religious Education Directory.’
Teachers expressed gratitude for the home-learning resources for religious education on our website **www.tere.org.** In addition, permission was granted to schools that had purchased _The Way, the Truth and the Life CD/DVD ROMs_ to put the contents on their own website.
Some Teacher Responses:
_This was a very useful Zoom session on how to make religious education meaningful for our pupils. It has given me a much better understanding of theology in The Way, The Truth and The Life._
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **8**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **1. Education** (continued)
- **Teachers’ Enterprise in Religious Education** (continued)
_Thinking about the key messages in each lesson and why they are important has been a great help. The example of how to link the task to the children’s experience will be very useful._
Telephone support for teachers is always available. To offer further support to schools, a decision was made to convert _The Way, The Truth, & The Life_ programme into digital format. Teachers continue to express appreciation for the wide range of free resources available for all age groups on our TERE website.
## _**Future Plans**_
Provision of in-service training by Zoom will continue because it is enabling teachers in schools from all over the United Kingdom to participate in greater numbers than if they had to travel to London.
In the words of Cardinal Nichols _, “This is a group of teachers working hard to improve classroom RE, especially in Catholic Schools. This enterprise has my full support and encouragement.”_
- **Le Chéile Trust**
The Le Chéile Trust mission is to _“promote Catholic education as an option within the Irish education system and to develop the schools given to the Trust in the service of their local communities.”_
Le Chéile is governed by two companies limited by guarantee: Síol (Irish for Seed) and Le Chéile (Irish for Together)
Our schools, Maryfield College in Dublin and Cross and Passion College Kilcullen, County Kildare are members of the Trust.
The Síol Schools’ Trust deals with the finance and property issues. It is a company limited by guarantee and is a registered Irish Charity and as such is registered in the Register of Charities and in the Companies Office in Ireland.
Síol Schools’ Trust has adopted and is fully compliant with the Governance Code for charities in Ireland. Two members of each of the participating 15 Religious Congregations are the company members.
The Le Chéile Trust, also a company limited by guarantee, as above. This deals with Enterprise, i.e. the management and running of the Schools. Members of the school Communities as well as the Religious Congregations, are members of this company.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **9**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **1. Education** (continued)
## **Le Chéile Trust** (continued)
Members attend the AGMs of both companies annually. A conference is also held during this time and two pupils from each school together with the company members also take part in the conference. Congregational Leaders or their representatives also attend an annual gathering in Dublin to update them on the financial and property issues.
Both schools are now managed by the Board of Le Chéile. However, the Sisters are invited to events in the schools during the year. This has also included meetings with pupils.
Le Chéile Trust invites us to join them for Prayer Gatherings with schools and keeps in touch with us re any new developments and projects. A new permanent office building for Le Chéile was officially opened in June 2022 in Templeogue, Dublin. All Congregations were represented. Office space had been rented until this time.
The school buildings and land at Maryfield College have been donated to the Le Chéile Trust. While the Trust has taken on the management of the Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen, the process of donating the property and land is still in progress as there are complications involved with an attached building, which used to be the convent. That building had been sold to KARE, a charity that provides special needs education in the Kildare area. One room in that building is used as a CP College classroom and at the present time the school needs that space until a new extension is built. The Department of Education and Science, as part of an overall plan for schools in the County of Kildare, is funding a large extension to the school in Kilcullen.
**Maryfield College, Dublin Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen**
Catholic Schools Week, united Le Cheile Schools in Celebrating Community, Faith, and Service to others and love one another strengthening our shared values.
The Cross and Passion College Kilcullen Ember Team celebrations for Le Cheile Day included an Act of Kindness that students intended to do over the next few days. They also made a display and a Kindness Chain. “No Act of Kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Students were welcomed to school with a kindness charm and a quote to encourage them to spread kindness during the week.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **10**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
**WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **1. Education** (continued)
- **Le Chéile Trust** (continued)
## _**Education of the whole person – sport and activities**_
Kilcullen Community Centre (KCC) and an All Weather Pitch (AWP) nearby are both leased. As the lease on the AWP, and the piece of land around this are due for renewal in the next few years, we are in the process of joining both areas and drawing up one lease which will include the total area. This has involved ensuring all land boundaries are correct. KCC are also anxious to provide space for a Scout Den on some of this land.
Other portions of land adjacent to the school, which have not been included in the area to be donated to Le Chéile have been leased to other Sporting organisations (Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Soccer Club). The Primary and Secondary School have an entitlement to use these pitches during school time. These pitches ensure there are green spaces in the heart of the town,
The above shows one of the green spaces leased to the Pitch and Put in Kilcullen.
Supporting early school leavers was a task one of our Sisters gave much of her time. She has retired from this work but the interest is still strong and an alternative way has been established to continue this support.
There is a school in Tallaght, Co Dublin which we support financially. It is a small school set up for early school leavers who come back and study for their leaving Certificate.
## M., our contact wrote:
_“We are very grateful for your continuing support. At the moment we have a high rate of depression and anxiety. This can often end in tragedy and suicide. We have doubled the hours of our psychologist/counsellor. We also try to create happy and interesting experiences._
_Very many thanks.”_
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **11**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
**WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **1. Education** (continued)
## **Leeds Trinity University**
Leeds Trinity University (LTU) was co-founded by the Sisters of the Cross and Passion and the Catholic Education Service as a Teacher Training College in 1967. In the fiftysix years since its foundation, it has transformed itself into a university renowned for teaching excellence and has been ranked by the Times and Sunday Times as the sixth best university in the country for teaching quality. Leeds Trinity offers undergraduate, post graduate, foundation and top-up courses, as well as apprenticeship and work based learning.
In accordance with the Articles of Association, the trusteeship of the University remains with the Diocese of Leeds. While the Sisters are no longer actively involved in the dayto-day life of LTU, they have a representative on the board of governors. The Congregation also has the right to nominate up to five people to be independent directors
on the board.
_“Our mission is guided by our Catholic identity and faith foundation…We are committed to the promotion of dignity, respect, social justice and equality in order to deliver positive social and economic impacts.” (LTU Mission Statement.)_
Leeds Trinity was the first University in Yorkshire to achieve the Race Equality Charter (REC) Bronze Award in November 2020 in recognition of its commitment to improving the representation, progression and success of black, Asian minority ethnic students and staff. To quote Professor Charles Egbu, Vice Chancellor of Trinity University:
_We have taken positive steps towards race equality in higher education, but recognise the progress we still need to make._
Following the REC Bronze Award in 2020, Leeds Trinity University received the Gold Whatuni Student Choice Award in 2021 for diversity and inclusion and was short listed for Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards in 2021.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **12**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **1. Education** (continued)
## **Leeds Trinity University** (continued)
The U-Connect scheme initiated by Leeds Trinity was launched in September 2021. It is a diversity mentoring scheme which will provide cross-instructional mentoring to colleagues at Leeds Trinity, Sheffield Hallam, York St John, Huddersfield and Sheffield Universities. The aim of the scheme is to provide university staff from diverse backgrounds with career support, development and progression. Participants can engage in the scheme as a mentor or be mentored by someone from a different institution. The scheme was initiated by Leeds Trinity University as part of its ongoing commitment to ensure an inclusive and diverse community of students, staff, governors and partners in which everyone is valued equally.
These are some of the values that we, as Sisters of the Cross and Passion, aspire to and are happy to see implemented.
In November 2022 Leeds Trinity University established a city centre location at 1 Trevelyan Square, Leeds, to complement its campus in Horsforth as part of its strategy for growth. The University has secured a lease on the 57,000 square foot building, which is located just off Boar lane in the heart of the city, subject to ‘Change of use’ planning application.
Leeds Trinity’s campus in Horsforth, located just six miles from Leeds, will continue to be central to its offer – including new programmes in Nursing and Biomedical Science, which are being designed to respond to key public sector workforce needs in the City Region.
_“Under Professor Charles Egbu’s, Leadership, it is clear that our University is firmly focused on the future, on delivering exceptional opportunities for our students and on the contribution we can make to enhance outcomes for all in our community.”_
## **2. Parish Work**
For many years our Sisters were very involved in supporting the families of the children in our schools, this meant that while teaching in schools all week, they spent Saturday afternoons visiting families and encouraging the parents to keep their children in regular attendance in school. Since we no longer teach in schools, sisters offer support in their parishes by assisting the local Clergy who may be overworked because of shortage of priests. Sisters are able to take up this active role in parishes once again. There has been a noticeable increase in requests for prayers coming into all our Sisters, who see this as an invaluable service to the wider community. Parish Sisters work in Belfast, Dublin, Bolton, Liverpool, London and Sutton St Helens.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **13**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
_John 10 10_
**WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **3. Health Care**
## _**Communities of Care**_
_Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life, life in all its fullness.”_
It is our desire that Sisters in communities of care are encouraged and have the opportunity to live life as fully as possible, in both its human and spiritual dimension, for as long as possible. (Province Chapter Mandate 2016)
In order to provide this care the Province owns and manages four care communities.
**Elmleigh** , **Yorkshire,** is located in the residential town of Ilkley, in Wharfdale. This is a non-registered, residential care community. The majority of the Sisters are ambulant but in need of assisted living.
**Elmleigh Care Home**
**The gardens in Elmleigh, a beautiful space for the sisters to enjoy.**
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**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **3. Health Care** (continued)
## _**Communities of Care** (continued)_
**East Holme, Lancashire,** is located in Lytham-St-Annes on the Fylde coast. At 31 March 2025, it was a CQC registered nursing home with two levels of care: independent living, upstairs where Sisters
can enjoy the best views across the green to the windmill and the river’s estuary. A 10 bed full nursing unit downstairs, with four beds dedicated to dementia care. The home has the CQC rating of GOOD, which it held after an inspection on 9 May 2022. Although restrictions have been eased for most people, care homes still follow the local health authority guidance.
Going forward, however, the Trustees have been advised that since we no longer envisage accommodating secular lay people it would be more cost effective to deregister the Home. In March 2025, with the help of our HR experts we began the process of deregistering from CQC. This work is ongoing.
**Photo taken with permission from Staff.**
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**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
**WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **3. Health Care** (continued)
## _**Communities of Care** (continued)_
**Villa Pacis, Belfast, Northern Ireland,** was opened in June 1995 as a non-registered retirement convent for Sisters. It is now a 15 bed care community for our Sisters, with one Sister receiving full nursing care. The other Sisters living there are ambulant, but require assisted living. They are encouraged to enjoy their outdoor space and make good use of their garden to provide vegetables and herbs for their own use.
**Sr R. working on the raised beds in the garden. (Photo printed with permission)**
**Marino, Dublin, Ireland,** is also a non-registered residential care community for Sisters in need of assisted living. In September 2024 we closed a flat in Sutton UK and the Sister expressed a desire to return to Ireland. We had a conversation with the Manager and she was very happy to welcome her to the community in Marino. The community also gave her a great Irish welcome. Now Sr E can spend more occasional days with her family who live in the area which for years she was unable to do.
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**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
**WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **3. Health Care** (continued)
## _**Care Home Managers**_
Each of our care communities has a managerial structure which employs appropriate staff. The PLT is in weekly contact with the care managers by phone. During this past year, meetings with the managers and Sisters have taken place on Zoom. Managers are encouraged to keep in touch with each other to share ideas, and sometimes find solutions to problems together, thus creating a strong support system for good management of our care communities. Our Province Bursar offers support to the care managers and local bursars in their everyday tasks. Looking to the future management of our care homes, we have input from HR consultancy services. After consultation with our managers we have engaged three of these HR consultancy services to give additional support to our managers in terms of employment, health and safety and risk assessment. The services we have engaged are; Croner, England (to work with Elmleigh and East Holme); Peninsula, N Ireland (to work with Villa Pacis); and Collier Broderick, Dublin (to work with Marino).
The total expenditure of our care homes is financed by the Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO. This is part of the cost of maintaining members of the Province.
## _**Spiritual Care**_
One Care Community has a pastoral Sister, who organises the spiritual care and liaises between the Sisters and the management; while two of the Communities have teams of Sisters. In the fourth Community the manager and Sisters work together with the local parish retired clergy. The Sister Sacristans take care of the Spiritual Exercises for the Community and look after the Chapels.
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice**_
St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds, founded by the Sisters of the Cross and Passion and opened in 1978, is a local independent Charity and has provided expert care to the people of Leeds for now 47 years. In September 2017, St Gemma’s Academic Unit of Palliative Care was the first in Britain to be recognised as a University Teaching Hospice. This prestigious national status reflects the substantial research and teaching activity undertaken in collaboration with the University of Leeds. Health care professionals from across the city receive training here and the research helps to improve patient care.
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**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **3. Health Care** (continued)
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice** (continued)_
In line with other health and social care providers, St Gemma’s is regulated by the Care Quality Commission and is subject to inspection. Their current rating is **outstanding.** This rating was maintained in the CQC inspection which took place on 2 November 2021. Among its outstanding practices, the CQC Report published on January 2022, stated: **that the staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took into account their individual needs, and helped them to understand their conditions** . It was noted at the January Board meeting, which followed the publication of the Report, that this inspection had been carried out under the new hospital testing regime and it was of great credit to the management and staff to have maintained an outstanding rating. Many of St Gemma’s patients are supported in the place they want to stay – often in their own homes. St Gemma’s is currently listed in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies for recognising their commitment to staff satisfaction and engagement. The hospice is also in the UK’s top 50 Inclusive Companies. The list acknowledges organisations for, “ _harnessing a truly diverse workforce”_ and recognises _“the significant efforts of organisations nationwide that excel in their commitment to equality and inclusion across all strands of diversity.”_
They have also seen significant transformation of their clinical and support services in a very short period of time, including remote consultations with patients, support of families and the provision of more tele-education. Staff wellbeing is vitally important and wellbeing initiatives have been expanded to increase health promotion, support for working carers and, providing safe spaces for the staff to discuss their fears and concerns.
It is very reassuring to know that the ethos upon which St Gemma’s was founded is still alive and actively reaching out to people who are in need of care, especially in times of crises. One new Ministry is outreach to the Homeless of Leeds, initiated by one member of Staff and supported by all.
The Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO retains ultimate control of the company, and as such its accounts, and those of its own subsidiary trading company, are included in the accounts attached to this report. From time to time, the CIO also gives the hospice financial support. The grant of a long term lease for the transfer of the whole property, including the convent, was concluded and signed by the Trustees on 19 December 2024. The Sisters gave St Gemma’s a grant of £50,000 following the signing of this lease.
Following the retirement of the CEO who led the Hospice for 14 years, a new CEO was appointed and the Trustees had a meeting with her in June. They were very interested in her dream for the Hospice.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **18**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
## **Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **4. Pastoral and Spiritual Care**
## **Retreat Ministry**
Retreat work was of the earliest works of our Congregation. Given the levels of stress in today’s society, this work helps people to have rest, respite and spiritual renewal and as such, is an invaluable source of wellbeing for people from all walks of life. Sisters are involved in, and working directly with, three Retreat centres – The Briery and Drumalis, which we own and manage and one Sister works in Tearmann Spirituality Centre now known as Glendalough Sanctuary.
**The Briery Retreat and Conference Centre** _is a place of spiritual renewal, where those_
_who come can find God in an atmosphere of love, prayer, healing and peace ~ where all are valued, encouraged to discover their gifts and challenged to use them in the service of others ~ where the poor, the suffering and the lonely can experience the power of the cross and the hope of resurrection in Christ._
In May 2024, the Sisters in charge of the Briery having suffered some health issues decided to retire and advertise for a New Manager. A local lady was appointed.
As the numbers of Religious attending preached retreats has naturally declined, the Briery has experienced a reduction in the number of people attending but there has been a flourishing of new groups who have their own leader. All who come have experience of prayerfulness, enjoy the solitude and silence and have gone away having enjoyed the home-made food, pleasant accommodation and peacefulness of the house and its surroundings. Having only 22 ensuite rooms, plus a self-catering cottage in the grounds, has meant that small groups have been viable.
None of the above would have been possible without the wonderful work of the lay staff who have worked at the Briery for a good number of years, know their jobs inside out and are always ready to go the extra mile. It is a credit to them that people comment on the cleanliness of the house and the excellent homemade food. The two administrators ensure that bookings are dealt with efficiently and invoices are paid on time. Their bursar ensures that bills are paid, accounts up-to-date, service contracts are correct and salaries are paid. They are a small team but they all work well together to ensure that The Briery is a place of hospitality and warm welcome.
As well as their in-house Team, they have a Parish Retreat Team who, as their title suggests, leads the Parish Retreats. They are a group of lay people who volunteer their services and come together annually, with the Retreat Director and her Deputy, to plan the retreats for the coming year. This year in line with our General Chapter Directive they have made The Cry of the Earth, and the Cry of the Poor their central theme.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **19**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **4. Pastoral and Spiritual Care** (continued)
- **Retreat Ministry** (continued)
Another very valuable group is the Briery Advisory Team members of which meet twice a year to review accounts, maintenance, bookings, staffing and share ideas on possible new groups and Retreat Leaders. They are a group of professional people consisting of a former retreat House Director, a retired Vice-Chancellor of a university, a Diocesan Catechist Co-ordinator and a priest with retreat knowledge who represents the Diocese. The Administrators and Bursar attend this meeting. The advice the Director and the Deputy receive at this meeting is invaluable and the minutes, which give a good overview of the work, are sent to the Provincial Leadership Team.
The Friends of The Briery, a group of volunteers, have brought a whole new dimension to the centre. Their events are not only fundraising activities but very enjoyable community gatherings which have been so important. Their fundraising has enabled them to purchase the extras which add to the attractiveness of the centre. In August 2022, they purchased beautiful curtains for the Dining Room, Computers for the Admin office and the bursar, and a large, smart television for the Conference Room. The most recent purchase was that of a defibrillator which is placed on the outside wall and can be accessed in case of an emergency. Local people know it is there.
The newest Team has been the leaders of our Thursday meditation via Zoom which prepares the Mass Readings for the forthcoming Sunday. These lay people have experience in leading retreats or have been trained by the Briery as Prayer Guides or Parish Retreat Leaders. This online prayer is now held every second Thursday at 7.00pm. The people have found in this gathering an on-line community and are very faithful, often sending apologies when they can’t attend.
Celebrating Community is important for the Briery. People enjoy coming together for the Summer Fayer which usually takes place in July when the weather may be good. It is a fun day and full of activities, followed by tea and home–made scones with lots of conversations and story sharing.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **20**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
**WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
**4. Pastoral and Spiritual Care** (continued)
- **Retreat ministry** (continued)
## **Tree Planting in Drumalis Drumalis Retreat and Conference Centre**
**Drumalis** is a Retreat and Conference Centre situated on the beautiful, scenic Antrim Coast. It offers a wide variety of events especially in the areas of faith and spirituality, the environment and community relations. Drumalis is a Grade B+ listed building, which also has a magnificent modern Conference Room. Participants from all corners of the world and from all sections of the community are welcomed.
Having kept Drumalis doing what it did best, building many bridges during their long years of service, the two Sisters who had run the retreat centre needed a well-earned long rest. Together with a representative group of Sisters a number of meetings were held to discuss its future. The outcome of these was the confirmation that Drumalis was an important ministry within the Province. We concluded that we needed a new Director and eventually one was appointed in April 2024. He has a three year contract. Having worked for a year, the Director recently joined our CIO Meeting and gave a report on his vision for the future of Drumalis.
Parish retreats have taken place with retreatants from Larne, Glenarm, Ardboe, St Paul’s as well as ladies arriving by ferry from Scotland for their Three Towns Retreat.
Adult Faith Development courses have continued as well as Carers Days.
They discovered a new way of learning could be applied to courses such as **Pathways** and **Certificate in Christian Thought** – enabling participants to be at the centre, as well as those unable to travel to attend simultaneously via Zoom from their own homes. This of course required investment in IT equipment and staff, but it means that people from many parts of the world can participate in courses or retreats given in Drumalis. It also helps to reduce the carbon footprint of the retreat centre.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **21**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **4. Pastoral and Spiritual Care** (continued)
- **Retreat ministry** (continued)
Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation; Two CP Sisters gave two half day sessions.
A Message of Hope and Challenge in a Time of Global Emergency; another of the Elizabeth Prout Memorial lectures, was delivered by a visiting Sister.
A partnership with A Rocha UK works with individuals and communities, encouraging them to think about their use of the environment and develop practical ways to care for the planet, locally and globally.
One member of the Drumalis Team has completed a training course to qualify as a Global Climate Animator. Drumalis continues to participate in the Eco Congregations Ireland activities.
In the course of this year Drumalis has participated in several new ecological initiatives in partnership with various organisations. Under the direction of A Rocha, the projects are
1. Rewilding is being expanded in order to grow the biodiversity element of the area. One exercise involved Threading of the Rope Ceremony, a ritual which takes place in a number of A Rocha projects world-wide. At Drumalis, this involved threading the rope through the posts circling the new wild flower area. After a few months it was recorded that twenty three species of flowering plants were growing in an area of less that twenty square meters.
2. Red squirrel protection activities are all under way in the woodland.
3. Most recently, Drumalis has become part of an endangered bird life project for Swifts and Ravens. The heronry is now well established in the trees and their numbers and nests are being carefully monitored by a retired Schoolteacher.
4. The number of beehives has grown to 16.
These developments are all an expression of the Cross and Passion General Assembly direction to respond to the Cry of the Earth, and engage with Issues of Climate Justice. The emergence of these activities and the growing interest, also highlights the future potential of the entire site, and the opportunity to integrate the strands of spirituality, ecology, and cross community action as Laudato Si encourages.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **22**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **4. Pastoral and Spiritual Care** (continued)
**Retreat ministry** (continued) **Minsteracres Retreat Centre** is a Passionist, community-based retreat centre situated in Northumberland. Minsteracres, like the other retreat centres, provides a space where people are enabled to find healing and wholeness in their relationship with God, themselves, others and creation.
The retreat centre runs a large O _utreach programme_ , which provides respite days/weekends for people on the margins of society. Some of the groups who come to Minsteracres on a regular basis are Kinship Carers, Blue Sky Trust, Free the Way, Cancer Support, Justice First, Freedom from Torture _,_ to name but a few.
The CIO give occasional financial support to the outreach programme from our Crisis Fund.
**Tearmann Spirituality Centre** situated in Glendalough, Co Wicklow, is a small, self-catering retreat centre. Glendalough is a valley steeped in the Celtic monastic tradition and is a popular place of pilgrimage.
At Tearmann a number of different retreat
programmes are offered. One Sister has been involved with the retreat work here since its founding in 1993.
In the words of the Retreat Director: _The centre has been a blessing for many people throughout the past 25 years. Hundreds of people have stayed in the apartments and benefited from the experience of being in Glendalough for a period of time, while thousands more people have walked the pilgrim paths with us, listening to the stories and sharing their own experiences._
Our CP Sister wrote recently:
_Our circumstances have now changed here at Tearmann in Glendalough. As Fr M’s health has declined two interested people have taken over the running of An Tearmann and changed the name to Glendalough Sanctuary. This centre is getting established with every passing day. It is a place of Sanctuary for anybody, whatever faith or none, are always welcomed. The bookings for the next two months are very promising. School groups are welcomed on day pilgrimages. Groups from all the valleys organise a pilgrim walk following all the pilgrim routes from the valleys leading down to Glendalough._
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **23**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **4. Pastoral and Spiritual Care** (continued)
## **Hospital Chaplaincy**
Only one sister remains in hospital chaplaincy work on a voluntary basis in London. It is her intention to retire in May 2025.
## **Spiritual Direction**
A number of Sisters have been trained in _Spiritual Direction_ and offer their services in our Retreat Centres. One Sister is a Spiritual Director and Counsellor at St Luke’s Centre, Manchester – _“the Church’s ministry of wellbeing and healing._
## **5. Social care**
At the heart of our Charism is a call to respond to the crises of our day which afflict the people around us, especially the poor or marginalised. Our Chapter mandated each Sister to respond as well as she could to the needs of the area in which she lives and to grow in awareness of the global mission of the Congregation and support it, among other ways, in prayer. Given our age profile, we are no longer involved in social care as we once were. However, we do give financial support to this kind of work from our Crisis Fund.
## **Volunteers**
A number of Sisters are still involved directly, in a voluntary capacity, reaching out to people in need.
One Sister works as a volunteer in Dublin at the Capuchin Centre for the homeless and people with addictions. Another Sister is involved in the STAR Project in Ballymun, Dublin. This is a registered charity which provides a drug rehabilitation programme, a family support service and easy street outreach team to people who need support for drug/alcohol issues and/or dealing with the effects of addiction within the family.
In Belfast one Sister works in the parish, supporting the Parish Priest with his daily rounds of visiting the sick.
## **The Destitute Project in Bolton**
For many years two Sisters helped in the Destitute Project at the Victoria Hall in Bolton. Because of age and ill health they have both had to withdraw from the heavier work. This is one of the projects we continue to support financially. In their Autumn Newsletter the writer
reports “ _Now that the cost of living has soared for all of us and because Asylum Seekers are having to cope on a very limited budget, we are, for the time being, continuing to give out food parcels. This is only because of the most wonderful generosity of the people of Bolton and some of our funders.”_
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **24**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
## **Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **5. Social care**
## **The Destitute Project in Bolton** (continued)
The sisters having closed a Community House in Manchester found a good home for monitory vouchers, household goods, and warm bedding (blankets and duvets). The Destitute Project was very glad to be the beneficiary as acknowledged by the letter below.
_Dear Sister._
_It was really lovely to see you and your friend/colleague when you came to Bolton. I am sorry I have been a long time thanking you for all your donations but I have been waiting so I could tell you how we spent the gift vouchers._
_The two Marks and Spencer vouchers were spent on individually wrapped Christmas treats for the party in two weeks. There will be plenty for adults and children thanks to you. The Tesco voucher was spent on 48 tins of tuna, and also sardines and orange juice. With the remaining voucher I am going to buy socks and underwear from Primark which will be much appreciated by all the recipients._
_I hope all is going well for you and that you have a wonderful, peaceful Christmas and New Year. I wonder if I will be able to contact you on the same email address once you move. If not perhaps you could give me a contact address so I can invite you to our AGM next year?_
_All good wishes,_
_Sue and all of us in the clothes room._
## **Mountain Park Centre**
This is an intercultural Drop in Centre in Tallaght Dublin. This Centre is a daytime hub for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. Often it is the first point of contact and support for Individuals and families from new communities. As Sr Clare wrote, _“I have the joy and good luck to volunteer as a teacher of English at the Centre on two mornings a week. It is the place to meet people from the War Torn areas of the World; both young and not so young men and women from Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, Iran, Jordan, Ukraine, the Congo and Palestine. All divided by language but united in their desire for a safe place to live and learn the English Language. They desire to have a place to call home and raise a family in a peaceful environment.”_ Clare shared a conversation she had recently with Youaz from Afghanistan. He had come to the end of a four year journey travelling through Europe and eventually arriving in Rosslare, Co Wexford.
There was great rejoicing recently at the centre when Sugile, sporting a green sweater showed everyone his Irish Passport. It is an honour and a joy to show that Ireland, in spite of incidents of racism, is still the land of “Cead Mile Failte.”
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **25**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
**Arc Four – Traditional Ministries** (continued)
## **5. Social care** (continued)
## **Teaching English to Migrant People.**
On returning from Botswana Mission, Sister taught English, for eleven years to Asylum Seekers in Leeds. She has now moved to our Care Home in Lytham and has been fortunate to find similar work in St Anne’s on Sea.
The Project in St Anne’s was set up by the Local Churches Together Group in 2008 and is strongly Ecumenical. The teaching space is provided in the Parish Hall of our Lady Star of the Sea; and the Coordinator and the teachers are volunteers from different Churches.
The purpose of the group is to offer English Classes to migrant peoples in an environment that is warm and welcoming. This is important as these people can often find themselves lonely and isolated. The classes are offered at Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced levels. Currently, the students are from Hong Kong, India, Brazil, Bangladesh, Iraq, Ukraine, Guinea, Thailand, Spain, Italy and Estonia.
## **Chaplaincy in John Lennon Airport.**
One Sister has completed her training to work as a Chaplain in John Lennon Airport in Liverpool. Sr M wrote;
_“I first came across Mite Chaplaincy in an advertisement in my local Parish and decided to explore the possibilities offered. Mite operates in many business places and one being John Lennon Airport which is approximately 30 minutes by bus from where I live. After meeting for an interview with the Chaplain at the Airport we decided I would be accepted and went ahead with the training Mite offered. Alongside that training there is a rather vigorous training by the Airport Personnel. Once through that I was ready to go._
_I go there once a week for a few hours. To the many staff and travellers, I meet I am a listening ear and support and all is confidential. Many travellers just need a listening ear as travelling can be a stressful experience. We often presume that those travelling are off to have a good time. Unfortunately that is not always the case as people are often going home or returning from a funeral or visiting a sick relative. They just need someone to talk to.”_
Another sister wrote: _“Though I have retired from active ministry, I can still offer a listening ear when travelling by bus. It is a great opportunity to reach out to someone sitting on their own and who has no one with whom they can talk.”_
## **Counselling and Community Care**
One Sister, a trained psychotherapist, works in and is the co-founder of WAVE, Belfast, a charity which provides support for those bereaved or traumatised by the “ _troubles_ ”, or people suffering from PTSD.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **26**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **WHO WE ARE, OUR WORK AND IMPACT** (continued)
## **Arc Five – Financial Support**
## **1. Crisis Fund**
In 2017, when one of our houses became vacant, there were suggestions that we use the house for asylum seekers or homeless people. Considering the decline in numbers of our active Sisters, and on the advice of our financial team, it was decided to ring-fence the money from the sale of the property to support projects, run by others, which are trying to alleviate the sufferings of asylum seekers, the homeless and crisis situations which are brought to our attention.
From this Crisis Fund we continue to support needs that are in line with our charitable objectives and meet the guide lines we set out in our Financial Support Policy.
During the year, monies were donated to various causes:
- Children Today, Northern Ireland
- Minsteracres to help with giving people a respite from daily cares
- The Capuchin Day Centre to help feed the hungry.
Preference is given to applications for projects based in places where Sisters have worked or still have a presence, e.g. Minsteracres, Bolton, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, London, Belfast and Dublin.
## **2. Missions**
Our mission outreach has always been a part of our Charism. Almost half of our Sisters in the Province have had experience of working and living on our Missions. These Missions are now the responsibility of the CLT (Central Leadership Team of the Congregation). Our contributions to the Missions will therefore be channelled through the CLT. Durning the year we received a legacy of £13,367.90. We transferred it to the CLT which has shared this money between our Missions in Chile and Argentina where people suffered greatly from Fires in Chile and Flood in Argentina.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **27**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **FUTURE PLANS**
The Charity’s goals for 2025/26 are as follows:
- To encourage all Sisters in their ministries, encouraging them to live by the Chapter Decisions discerned at the Provincial Chapter of August 2022.
- Today’s fragile world is crying out for compassion, truth and love. We respond to this cry by faithfully living out our Charism.
- We wholeheartedly commit to our General Chapter Direction statement regarding the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We recognise that these two cries are one and the same. We acknowledge the urgency and intensity of this cry. We want this challenge to influence our personal lives, corporate decisions and policies regarding the allocation of our investments and resources.
- To ensure the care of the sick and elderly by:
- Encouraging our sick and elderly Sisters to care for their own wellbeing
- Supporting them to live independently for as long as possible
- Providing them with assisted living where possible
- Continuing to provide for them in care communities where both their physical and spiritual needs are met.
- To continue to live out our Organic Participative Model of Leadership in the Province through holding monthly Province Meetings by Zoom; To support the way of communication agreed at our Chapter and which is so vital to this form of leadership. Given our age profile, which in many cases restricts our ability to travel, to encourage and enable as many Sisters as possible to use Zoom as a means of communication.
- To be faithful stewards of the work entrusted to us by:
- Valuing the resources of the Province/Charity
- Maintaining, developing, donating or selling property in a responsible manner and in accordance with Charity law guidelines
- Using the financial resources of the Province in a responsible manner, in keeping with the objectives as stated in the Constitution of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO. In all these matters listening to our advisors.
- Ensuring that the committee in the Republic of Ireland (ROI Committee), which was set up to be compliant with Irish Charity Law, is enabled to do its work. The rules/terms of reference of the Committee of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO in the Republic of Ireland, RCN: 20015893 CHY: 7368, were adopted on 30 March 2020 with effect from 1 April 2021. To this end a trustee from the CIO is a member of this committee.
- In our Chapter August 2022 we committed to exploring alternative structures available to us which will enable us to live out our mission, given the needs of our changing world. We ask each Sister to “Be willing to be involved in a process of discerning and reviewing the present Province Structure with a view to finding a suitable structure for our time.” This will be the work of the Province Chapter held in August 2025.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **28**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
## **Income**
Income for the Charity and its subsidiary is generated through:
- Salaries
- Pensions
- Retreats
- Hospice Care
- Fund raising
- Charity shops
- Room hire
- Bank deposit interest
- Investments
- Donations, grants and legacies.
## **Expenditure**
The majority of the Sisters have given most of their working lives to the charitable activities of the Congregation. Where this work is for organisations independent of the Charity, any earnings and pensions are covenanted to the Charity.
Expenditure of the Charity comprises:
- The living and personal expenses of members of the Congregation and those costs incurred to enable them to carry out their individual ministry
- Provision of nursing care for our sick and elderly Sisters
- Financial support to the Congregation’s missions and central administration
- Donations to charities with objects that are consistent with those of the Charity itself
- Those costs associated with the management of the Charity’s investment portfolios and the compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements.
Expenditure of the subsidiary comprises all costs associated with the provision of hospice care together with fundraising, running charity shops and investment managements.
## **Tangible Fixed Assets**
Tangible fixed assets of the Charity and its subsidiary consist mostly of buildings with their furniture, fittings, equipment and plant.
## **Results for the Year**
The consolidated statement of financial activities shows net expenditure before investment gains of £4,016,529 (2024 – net income of £5,944,302) with total income amounting to £18,423,360 (2024 – £16,669,162) before transfers from the charitable trust of £nil (2024 – £9,820,000), giving total income of £18,423,360 (2024 – £26,489,162). Expenditure amounted to £22,439,889 (2024 – £20,544,860).
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **29**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** (continued)
## **Results for the Year** (continued)
Total income includes £1,348,977 (2024 – £1,440,999) of salaries and pensions of individual members of the Congregation which are donated to the Charity either by deed of covenant or by gift aid, £3,923,307 (2024 – £3,389,798) of other donations, legacies and similar income, £4,648,832 (2024 – £4,309,544) of income from charity shops and £4,812,638 (2024 – £4,509,535) being St Gemma’s income from the Clinical Commissioning Group and Health Foundation. Other major categories of income include investment income and interest receivable, fundraising events and lotteries, and retreat and conference offerings.
Total expenditure includes expenditure on St Gemma’s Hospice. The main expense of the hospice is staff costs which totalled £11,464,963 (2024 – £10,785,823) representing payments to the average staff count of 305 (2024 – 299). Other expenditure includes the personal and living costs of the members of the Congregation and their ministry, donations paid and the costs of administering the Charity.
Deducting expenditure from income (including the transfer from the charitable trust) for the year gives net expenditure after investment losses for the year of £4,046,788 (2024 – net income after investment gains of £7,324,339).
## **Investment Performance**
The purpose of holding listed investments is to earn income to be used by the Sisters in their ministries while carrying out the charitable work of the Congregation now and in the future.
The Charity has discretionary investment agreements with Charles Stanley & Co Limited and Sarasin & Partners LLP. The trustees meet with the fund managers and financial advisers during the year to ensure that the funds are managed in accordance with the investment policy and the religious and ethical principles of the Congregation. The objective of the fund managers is to achieve a reasonable return of both income and capital growth with no more than a conservative to moderate level of risk. The performance and structure of the principal portfolios continues to be closely monitored by the Finance and General Purposes Committee.
On the Charity’s listed investments, an income yield of 2.6% was achieved, with an overall capital gain of 7.6%. At the end of the year, the Charity’s portfolio of listed investments comprised 64% unit funds, 18% UK equities, 2% UK fixed interest stocks, 12% overseas unit trusts and 4% alternative investments.
The value of the group’s listed investments at the end of March 2025, excluding cash held for reinvestment, was £19,580,192 (2024 – £18,960,612).
## **Reserves Policy**
The Charity has a commitment to support members of the Congregation, many of whom continue to carry out charitable work long past the normal age of retirement. The Sisters retire only because of ill health and/or old age and frailty. The trustees of the CIO accept responsibility for establishing an appropriate reserves policy to cater, in the first instance, for the medical care of the Sisters now and in the future.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **30**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** (continued)
## **Reserves Policy** (continued)
The funds set aside to provide for the Sisters in later life, none of whom have resources of their own, were re-assessed during the year. The calculations, based on actuarial methods, indicate that £16 million is needed to be set aside in order to provide £20,000 per annum for Sisters over 65 years of age and, because of the greater health needs, £30,000 to £40,000 per annum for Sisters over 75 years of age and £40,000 to £50,000 for those over 90 years of age. The trustees have currently designated £13 million towards this reserve, with the intention of designating further funds in future years.
The board of management of St Gemma’s Hospice has adopted a reserves policy to maintain a minimum level of resources to ensure that the hospice can continue to provide its current level of services, having regard to possible fluctuations in income and expenditure. These reserves should exclude those amounts designated for the upkeep and renovation of the hospice and those funds already invested in tangible fixed assets. Total reserves of St Gemma’s at 31 March 2025 were £14,295,986 (2024 – £14,861,720) of which £5,695,702 (2024 – £5,921,053) had been designated within the St Gemma’s Hospice accounts by the Board of Management for the continuing upkeep and renovation of the hospice. All of the St Gemma’s Hospice Funds are reflected within these consolidated accounts as restricted funds.
The trustees have examined the need for free reserves, i.e. those unrestricted funds not invested in tangible fixed assets, designated for specific purposes or otherwise committed. The trustees consider that, given the nature of the Charity’s work and its commitments, the level of free reserves should be up to an amount equal to annual unrestricted expenditure, currently approximately £6.2 million.
## **Financial Position**
The consolidated balance sheet shows total reserves of £58,447,446 at 31 March 2025. Included in total funds is an amount of £14,295,986 which is restricted. These funds, which include all funds relating to St Gemma’s Hospice, include other monies that have either been raised for, and their use restricted to, specific purposes or they comprise donations subject to donor imposed conditions. Full details of these restricted funds can be found in note 15 to the accounts, together with an analysis of movements in the year.
The tangible fixed assets fund totals £24,445,944 (2024 – £25,020,488) and represents those tangible fixed assets not financed out of restricted funds or used by St Gemma’s Hospice.
Funds which are available to support the work of the Sisters in the future are those shown on the consolidated balance sheet as general funds. These amounted to £6,444,809 at 31 March 2025 (2024 – £9,339,593). Although this amount is in excess of the stated target of £6.2 million given in the reserves policy, above, the trustees consider the funds to be adequate, but not excessive, in the light of current economic and political uncertainties and the continuing challenges presented to the charity.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **31**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW** (continued)
## **Property – Transactions and Maintenance**
## _**Transactions**_
The transfer of Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen land to the Le Chéile Trust is ongoing.
The properties at 3&5 Carberry Road, Drumcondra, Dublin are now vacant and will soon be sold.
Middleton Convent: This property was vacated and placed on the market for sale.
The grant of a long term lease by the Charity to St Gemma’s Hospice for the transfer of the whole property, including the convent, is now complete.
## _**Maintenance**_
By its nature this is never ending.
- **East Holme:** Repairs to leaks in the plumbing system. Work to repair wood in the veranda and the conservatory roof is ongoing. Because the building is a listed building this work requires a specialist craftsman.
- **Elmleigh:** Three new boilers were fitted in January 2025. Lift repairs and servicing of machinery is a recurring expense.
- **The Briery:** Necessary maintenance has been carried out, including responding to findings of the Fire Risk Assessment
- **Villa Pacis:** Ongoing work on external drains.
- **Drumalis:** Major repairs to heal the gutters overflow on the new build was begun and a trial repair was carried out but owing to inclement weather the work has been delayed. All major repairs and external painting have been carried out.
- **Duncan Terrace:** Ingress of water was traced and repaired.
Sisters are encouraged to be vigilant in the maintenance of houses for health and safety reasons, as well as general upkeep. PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) and fire risk assessments are carried out in our properties on a regular basis.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **32**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **POLICIES, REPORTS AND PLANS**
We reviewed our: Risk Management Policy Health and safety Policy Safeguarding Policy Crisis Fund Policy GDPR Policy
We ensured that our care communities and our retreat centres all have Health and Safety Policies in place.
We compiled our: Annual Appraisal Province Action Plan CIO Annual Report and Accounts (UK)
## **Safeguarding**
The trustees are committed to implementing the policies and procedures of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA), the Religious Life Safeguarding Service (RLSS) and the National Board of Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCC). Two Sisters in Ireland (North and ROI) are delegated to represent the Province.
The Safeguarding Lead in the UK was unable to continue owing to poor health. The Trustees realised the time had come for them to consider a lay person to take on this work in the UK. After much consideration it was decided to appoint a retired lay person as the UK Safeguarding Lead. Two Trustees attended a course given by RLSS in Liverpool in November 2024 and invited our new Lead to attend in February 2025.
Just at this time we received an email from the CSSA advising the Trustees that they would conduct a safeguarding audit in April 2025. The result of this will be recorded in the 2026 Trustees’ Report.
## **General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)**
With the help of our solicitors we have drawn up an umbrella Data Protection Policy for the Charity, which covers the processing and control of data from four main areas: employment data; data relating to Sisters in care; data relating to the users of our retreat centres and data kept on individual Sisters in the Province Office. This policy is reviewed on an annual basis.
St Gemma’s Hospice has its own Data Protection Policy. An IT security audit has been completed. All high level remediation advice from the previous assessment has been actioned and none of the vulnerability discovered during the latest assessment is considered an immediate threat to the security of St Gemma’s Hospice.
## **Investment Policy**
The Charity’s investments are managed by Sarasin & Partners LLP and Charles Stanley & Co Limited in the UK. There are no restrictions on the Charity’s power to invest.
The Investment Strategy is set by the trustees and takes into account income requirements, the risk profile and investment manager’s views of the market prospects in the medium term.
The policy is to maximise total return through diversified portfolios whilst providing a level of
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **33**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
income advised by trustees from time to time.
## **POLICIES, REPORTS AND PLANS** (continued)
## **Investment Policy** (continued)
There is also an Ethical Policy precluding any investment in any company which, after reasonable enquiry, clearly has significant profits from any activity whose objectives are contrary to ours and considered to be unjust or damaging to health and wellbeing. The Charity has divested from fossil fuel companies in the Charles Stanley portfolio and redirected its investment towards green energy and social housing.
The performance of the portfolios and the Charity’s Investment Strategy are reviewed by the trustees, who meet with the investment managers at least annually.
## **Insurance**
A review of the major risks to which the Province is exposed and of systems established to mitigate those risks is undertaken annually by the trustees. The province bursar is in regular contact with insurers for Ireland (Arachas) and United Kingdom (Marsh Commercial).
## **Crisis Fund**
Donations given to projects from our Crisis Fund are discussed, approved and recorded at our trustee meetings. The agreement of three trustees is needed to approve a donation. Due diligence is observed in checking the background details of the projects and those managing them. This includes alertness to possible scams. Acknowledgement is requested and accountability for any money given. Sisters are appraised of donations which have been made and information shared on the projects which are supported.
Requests are sometimes made from the Congregational Leadership Team to assist the work of the Congregation in other parts of the world.
The Sisters acknowledge, with gratitude, those who have given donations towards our Mission projects. Restricted donations go straight to the project for which the money has been given.
Whilst the trustees give support to United Kingdom organisations, whose work is within the objects of the Charity as stated in the Constitutions of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO, the Charity does not regard itself as a grant-making entity and applications for grants are not invited.
## **Fundraising Policy**
Income generation at St Gemma’s is conducted by a team of fundraisers and retail staff directly employed by the Charity and led by the Director of Income Generation. No external professional fundraisers have been utilised during the year. The Hospice benefited from some relatively low value commercial participation partnerships with local companies, which were managed by the Senior Fundraiser (Corporate) and governed by written agreements. St Gemma’s Hospice is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. The Director of Income Generation is a member of the National Association of Hospice Fundraisers. There have been no failures to comply with the standards set by these organisations.
The trustees of the Hospice monitor the activities of the Income Generation Team via quarterly meetings of the Finance and Business Committee. The chair of the Committee also meets
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **34**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
with the directors of Corporate Services and Income Generation.
## **POLICIES, REPORTS AND PLANS** (continued)
## **Fundraising Policy** (continued)
Policies to protect vulnerable individuals are in place and all fundraisers are aware of their responsibilities in this area.
## **Continued Professional Development etc**
For our own professional development and to keep ourselves updated with changes we have attended the following online courses and Zoom meetings over the past two financial years:
COREW, Conference/AGM COREW Meetings by Zoom AMRI, Dublin – AGM AMRI Meetings Safeguarding (UK) RLSS Insurance Meetings
May, 2023 July, Oct 2023 September 2023 April, June, July, October 2023 November 24; February 25; January, March 2024
Meetings planned for our own needs:
F&GP Committee with input from Investment Manager Audit Planning Audit Clearance
November 2024 and February 2025 July 2025 March 2024 and September 2024
Meetings related to our Ministry:
St Gemma’s Hospice, Leeds All Board meetings & 2 Strategy meetings Le Chéile Trust, Dublin Drumalis AGM
AGM, November 2024
February 2025 October 2024
## Internal Province Meetings
CIO Trustee and PLT meetings Province Zoom Meetings ROI Committee PLT/Managers of Care Communities:
Monthly Monthly June, October 2024; January 2025 Weekly by telephone
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **35**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **GOVERNANCE TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND RISK MANAGEMENT**
## **Governance**
## _**Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO**_
In terms of Canon Law, at international level the Congregational Leadership Team (CLT) is the major spiritual and administrative body of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion. The administration of the CLT continues to be centred in the United Kingdom.
The Province Leadership Team (PLT) consists of the Provincial Leader and her Councillors, who were elected at a Provincial Chapter in August 2022 by members of the Province for a term of three years. The Province Leader is the highest authority in the Province and is its official representative. Her authority extends to all the Sisters, communities and properties of the Province. The Provincial Leader and team are assisted in their work by the Provincial Bursar, who is now a lay woman, appointed in October 2019, and the Confidential Secretary, and by a group of Sisters (Links Sisters), who represent smaller clusters of Sisters. The Link Sisters meet the PLT three times annually. This system allows for maximum participation in decision-making by all Sisters throughout the Province.
In terms of civil law, the Charity is governed by the Constitution of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO dated 17 September 2019 and is a registered charity under the Charities Act 2011, Charity Registration No 1185348 (England and Wales). It is also a registered Charity in the Republic of Ireland, Charity Registration No 20015893. The Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO is the main vehicle for delivering Province activities.
The trustees of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO are the Congregational Leader, the Provincial Leader and Provincial Councillors. As all trustees are members of the Congregation they have a detailed knowledge of the work of the CIO and of its structure. The trustees, are members of the Congregation and whilst their living and personal expenses are borne by the CIO, they receive no remuneration or reimbursement of expenses in connection with their duties as trustees. On being appointed, new trustees spend time with those trustees leaving office. They also meet with the Congregation’s legal, accounting, investment and property advisors in order to obtain a full briefing of their responsibilities and the CIO’s position. They attend training courses and seminars where appropriate.
The names of the trustees who served during the year are set out as part of the reference and administration details on page 1 of this annual report and accounts.
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice**_
St Gemma’s Hospice has its own board of governance, and one Sister has been appointed as a representative of the Charity. The Board is responsible for the overall direction and management of the Hospice, approves strategy and oversees its implementation.
The Board has approved a scheme of delegation, under which the majority of operational management and decision making is delegated to the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive has a key role in the management and monitoring of service delivery, patient satisfaction, financial performance, the assessment and control of risk, and the prioritisation and allocation of resources.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **36**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **GOVERNANCE TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND RISK MANAGEMENT** (continued)
## **Governance** (continued)
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice** (continued)_
The Chief Executive of the Hospice leads a Hospice Leadership Team (HLT) consisting of the Director of Nursing and Deputy Chief Executive, Director of Income Generation, Director of Medicine, Consultant in Palliative Care and Director of Corporate Services. The HLT has a strategic role in driving forward the Hospice and assisting the Chief Executive in discharging the duties delegated by the Board. It is the HLT that is in charge of challenging, leading, running and supporting the Hospice to achieve its aims.
The pay of the HLT is reviewed by the Board of Trustees, through the Remuneration Committee. The amount paid to members of the HLT is carefully considered, comparable to other roles in the market, and is benchmarked against other local hospices and national hospice reward and charity reward surveys and data. Best practice recommendations on setting remuneration, including those of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), are also taken into consideration. The levels paid are those necessary to ensure a well-run, effective organisation in line with regulatory requirements. Competitive salaries also help the Hospice to attract, recruit and retain the best possible calibre of staff, in a fiercely competitive environment.
## _**Trustees’ Responsibility Statement**_
The trustees are responsible for preparing the report of the trustees, who together with the Operations Manager prepare the accounts in accordance with applied law and United Kingdom accounting standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, and in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, requires the trustees to prepare accounts for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and the group and of the income and expenditure of the group for that period. In preparing these accounts, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- observe the methods and principles in accounting and reporting by Charities Statement of Recommended Practice, applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable to the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS102)
- make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- state whether applicable United Kingdom accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material disclosed and explained in the accounts
- prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in operation.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **37**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **GOVERNANCE TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND RISK MANAGEMENT** (continued)
## **Governance** (continued)
## _**Trustees Responsibility Statement** (continued)_
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Act 2011, Applicable Charity (accounts and reports) Regulations, the Charities and Trustees Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities’ Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006, the Irish Charities Act 2009 and the provisions of the Charity’s Trust Deed. 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.
## _**Public Benefit**_
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty under the Charities Act 2011 to have regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
## **Risk Management**
## _**Sisters of the Cross and Passion**_
The key risks for the Charity, as identified by the trustees, are described below, together with the principal ways they are mitigated:
- _**The age profile and health of the Sisters and future operation of the Charity**_ As of 31 March 2025 the Province has 63 members, including the Region. The average age at 31 March 2025 was 85. There are 14 Sisters over the age of 90 and 1 under the age of 70. There is one Sister under 60 in the Region. During the period April 2024 to March 2025 six Sisters have died. The Trustees are aware that there is both a moral and legal obligation to care for the older Sisters. None of the Sisters have resources of their own, as all earnings, pensions and other income have been donated to the Charity under a gift aid compliant with Deed of Covenant.
- _**Key elements of the management of this risk are** :_
- ensuring that the Charity has available financial resources to finance this care, both now and in the years ahead, by setting aside assets in a designated fund, the value of which has been based on actuarial principles; and
- ensuring that processes are in place to review regularly the ministries and needs of individual Sisters, encouraging those who need it to take on less demanding ministries and identifying those who need extra care and help.
- _**The value of investments and properties**_
- The value of listed investments is dependent on movements in UK and world stock markets. The investments are managed by reputable investment managers, who adhere to a policy agreed by the trustees. The investment strategy is assessed regularly to ensure it remains appropriate to the Charity’s needs, both now and into the future.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **38**
**Report of the trustees** Year to 31 March 2025
## **GOVERNANCE TRUSTEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND RISK MANAGEMENT** (continued)
## **Risk Management** (continued)
## _**Sisters of the Cross and Passion** (continued)_
_**Reliance on key staff and the need for succession planning**_ Advice is taken on investment management, accountancy, actuarial, architectural, and legal and business matters from lay professionals. The Finance & General Purposes Committee meets three times a year, with sub-committees meeting when necessary. The Committee monitors risks and the Risk Management Policy and refers matters to the PLT for consideration.
- A review of major risks to which the Province is exposed and the systems established to mitigate those risks is undertaken annually by the trustees. The Province Bursar is in regular contact with our insurers; Marsh Commercial UK and Arachas in the Republic of Ireland. A physical meeting with our Brokers and Operations Manager was held in February 25 in 42 King’s Road Ilkley, the New Home of Province Leader.
During their pastoral visits, the trustees continue to monitor the major risks to which the Charity may be exposed and systems are investigated and established to mitigate these risks. Mostly meetings with Sisters and staff have been conducted by Zoom, though one meeting was arranged with the Trustees and Care Managers and Bursars. The trustees attended various online courses during the year to keep abreast of any developments.
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice**_
The Board of St Gemma’s Hospice assesses and reviews the management of the major risks to which the Hospice is exposed. There is a risk framework to support the identification and management of key risks and ensure risk management is an integral part of planning, decision-making and the day-to-day operations of service delivery. This framework incorporates procedures and processes and identifies clear roles and responsibilities in the reporting and management of key risks.
The risk register is developed by the Hospice Leadership Team and is scrutinised by the relevant committees and Board on a quarterly basis. The Chief Executive prepares an Annual Governance Statement (AGS) which identifies how the Hospice ensures effective governance and risk management in compliance with the Voluntary Code of Good Governance framework.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **39**
Rèport of the trustees Year to 31 March 2025
SUMMARY AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This report is a summary of the work ofthe Charity. The accounts accompanying IhY8 report
show the movement offunds in the year ended 31 March 25.
le, the Trustees. an05¥1@dge th gratityde the professlon8118m and oommitment of all our
staff, volunteers and the Individual membern of the Congregation. Their dedication, support
and positive approach are very encouraging for us.
We wish a0 to record our thanks to the profe5slonal bodies on *those a**restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**|Un-
restricted
funds
£|Restricted
funds
£|Total
funds
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
1
Investment income and interest
receivable
2
Charitable activities
. Provision of hospice care
3
. Retreat and similar income
Other trading activities
. Income from charity shops
. Room hires and rental income
. Fundraising events and lotteries
Other sources
. Miscellaneous income
Donations from Sisters of the Cross
and Passion Charitable Trust (Charity
Registration Number 1038483)
24
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
. Cost of raising donations
. Fundraising activities including
charity shops
. Investment management costs
Charitable activities
. Provision of hospice care
4
. Donations and support of overseas
missions
5
. Support of members of the
Congregation and their ministry
6
**Total expenditure**
**Net (expenditure) income before**
**net investment (losses) gains**
Net investment (losses) gains
**Net (expenditure) income and net**
**movement in funds**
8
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Fund balances at 1 April 2024
Fund balances at 31 March 2025
18|**1,505,734**
**645,577**
**—**
**539,485**
**—**
**8,010**
**—**
**52,070**|**3,766,550**
**401,179**
**5,563,855**
**—**
**4,648,832**
**—**
**1,226,070**
**65,998**|**5,272,284**
**1,046,756**
**5,563,855**
**539,485**
**4,648,832**
**8,010**
**1,226,070**
**118,068**|1,558,239
625,248
—
464,203
7,502
—
27,344|3,272,558
313,834
4,923,294
—
4,309,544
—
1,110,022
57,374|4,830,797
939,082
4,923,294
464,203
4,309,544
7,502
1,110,022
84,718|
||**2,750,876**
**—**|**15,672,484**
**—**|**18,423,360**
**—**|2,682,536
9,820,000|13,986,626
—|16,669,162
9,820,000|
||**2,750,876**|**15,672,484**|**18,423,360**|12,502,536|13,986,626|26,489,162|
||**—**
**—**
**1,297**
**—**
**17,699**
**6,171,716**|**1,773,415**
**3,720,760**
**28,301**
**10,726,701**
**—**
**—**|**1,773,415**
**3,720,760**
**29,598**
**10,726,701**
**17,699**
**6,171,716**|—
—
4,465
—
153,634
5,565,496|1,698,067
3,273,166
32,597
9,817,435
—
—|1,698,067
3,273,166
37,062
9,817,435
153,634
5,565,496|
||**6,190,712**|**16,249,177**|**22,439,889**|5,723,595|14,821,265|20,544,860|
||**(3,439,836)**
**(41,217)**|**(576,693)**
**10,958**|**(4,016,529)**
**(30,259)**|6,778,941
922,680|(834,639)
457,357|5,944,302
1,380,037|
||**(3,481,053)**
**47,632,513**|**(565,735)**
**14,861,721**|**(4,046,788)**
**62,494,234**|7,701,621
39,930,892|(377,282)
15,239,003|7,324,339
55,169,895|
||**44,151,460**|**14,295,986**|**58,447,446**|47,632,513|14,861,721|62,494,234|
All recognised gains and losses are included in the above statement of financial activities.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **45**
## **Charity statement of financial activities** Year to 31 March 2025
|Notes|**Un-**
**restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**|Un-
restricted
funds
£|Restricted
funds
£|Total
funds
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
1
Investment income
2
Retreat and similar income
Other trading activities
. Room hire
Other income (including foreign
exchange gain)
Donations from Sisters of the Cross
and Passion Charitable Trust (Charity
Registration Number 1038483)
24
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Investment management costs
Donations and support of overseas
missions
5
Support of members of the
Congregation and their ministry
6
**Total expenditure**
**Net (expenditure) income before**
**net investment (losses) gains**
**(Losses) gains on investment**
**assets**
. Realised
. Unrealised
**Net (expenditure) income and net**
**movement in funds**
8
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Fund balances at 1 April 2024
Fund balances at 31 March 2025
18|**1,505,734**
**645,577**
**539,485**
**8,010**
**52,070**|**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**|**1,505,734**
**645,577**
**539,485**
**8,010**
**52,070**|1,558,239
625,248
464,203
7,502
27,344|—
—
—
—
—|1,558,239
625,248
464,203
7,502
27,344|
||**2,750,876**
**—**|**—**
**—**|**2,750,876**
**—**|2,682,536
9,820,000|—
—|2,682,536
9,820,000|
||**2,750,876**|**—**|**2,750,876**|12,502,536|—|12,502,536|
||**1,297**
**17,699**
**6,171,716**|**—**
**—**
**—**|**1,297**
**17,699**
**6,171,716**|4,465
153,634
5,565,496|—
—
—|4,465
153,634
5,565,496|
||**6,190,712**|**—**|**6,190,712**|5,723,595|—|5,723,595|
||**(3,439,836)**
**(12,456)**
**(28,761)**|**—**
**—**
**—**|**(3,439,836)**
**(12,456)**
**(28,761)**|6,778,941
405
922,275|—
—
—|6,778,941
405
922,275|
||**(3,481,053)**
**47,632,513**|**—**
**—**|**(3,481,053)**
**47,632,513**|7,701,621
39,930,892|—
—|7,701,621
39,930,892|
||**44,151,460**|**—**|**44,151,460**|47,632,513|—|47,632,513|
All recognised gains and losses are included in the above statement of financial activities.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **46**
Consolidated and charity balance sheets 31 March 2025
Gmup
Ch8vty
Notes
2026
2024
2025
2024
FJxed a35ets:
Tangible a5ts
Investments
. Listed investments
. Programme re18t8d investments
Total fixed assets
11 26.878.804 27,572,252 2444944 25,020,488
12 19.900.490 19.679,051 13,329,614 13,004,983
12
134.340
136,364
134,340
136,364
48,993,434 47.387,867 37,909,798 38,161,835
cuont assets:
stocks
Debtors
Investments
Cash at b8nk and in hd
Total current assets
17,681
10,941
864,125
760,586
3.0fy).000 3,500,000
8.696,477 12,155,184 6.341,936
12,478,263 16,426,713 6A70.385
13
24449
52,007
9,563,780
9,615,787
Llablllll•s:
CTedthrs: amounts f811ing c*Je wilhin
one year
Net ¢urr•nt assots
14 (1,0242511 11,320,148
{128.7231 (145,1091
11,454.012 15,106,567 8.241,e82
9,470,678
Total net assots
58,447,446 82,494,234 44.1S1,480 47.632,513
Tr¢ ndS of the Charlty.
R¢stricted fvnde
Unrestiided
. D•sign*d frjnds
. Tangible fix•d assets fund
General fund
15 14,296.988 14,861,721
16 13,260.707 12,272,432 13.260,707 13,272.432
17 24,44S,944 25,¢y20,488 24445,944 25,020.488
18
6,444.809 9,339,593 8A44,809 9.339.593
,447.446 S2,494,234 44IS1.460 47,632,513
Approved by the trustees
and signed on their behalf by..
Trustee
Approved on..
14111 lao?S-
Slsters of the Cross and Passion CIO 47
## **Consolidated statement of cash flows** Year to 31 March 2025
|Notes|**2025**
**£**|2024
£|
|---|---|---|
|**Cash flows from operating activities:**
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities
A
**Cash flows from investing activities:**
Investment income and interest received
Proceeds from the disposal of tangible fixed assets
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Proceeds from the disposal of investments
Purchase of investments
**Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities**
**Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year**
**Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April 2024**
**Change in cash and cash equivalents due to exchange rate**
**movements**
**Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March 2025**
B|**(4,079,782)**|6,683,646|
||**1,046,756**
**8,800**
**(757,515)**
**1,705,882**
**(2,355,719)**|939,082
8,768
(826,490)
6,229,823
(5,246,089)|
||**(351,796)**|1,105,094|
||**(4,431,578)**
**16,373,621**
**54,732**|7,788,740
8,511,258
73,623|
||**11,996,775**|16,373,621|
## **Notes to the statement of cash flows for the year to 31 March 2025.**
**A Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2025 2024
£ £
Net movement in funds (as per the statement of financial activities) (4,046,788) 7,324,339
Adjustments for:
Depreciation charge 1,396,134 1,350,689
Losses (gains) on investments 30,259 (1,380,037)
Investment income and interest receivable (1,046,756) (939,082)
Net loss on disposal of tangible fixed assets (6,479) 6,836
(Increase) decrease in stocks (6,720) 3,330
(Increase) decrease in debtors (103,537) 1,453,810
Decrease in creditors (295,895) (1,136,239)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities (4,079,782) 6,683,646
B Analysis of cash and cash equivalents
2025 2024
£ £
Cash at bank and in hand 8,596,477 12,155,184
Cash held by investment managers 400,298 718,437
Current asset investments 3,000,000 3,500,000
Total cash and cash equivalents 11,996,775 16,373,621
**----- End of picture text -----**
No separate reconciliation of net debt has been prepared as there is no difference between the net cash (debt) of the charity and the above cash and cash equivalents.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **48**
## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2025
The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the accounts are laid out below.
## **Basis of preparation**
These accounts have been prepared for the year to 31 March 2025, with comparative information given for the year to 31 March 2024.
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policies below or the notes to these accounts. The accounts are presented in sterling and are rounded to the nearest pound.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with 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 United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.
The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
The accounts are presented in sterling and are rounded to the nearest £1.
## **Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement**
Preparation of the accounts requires the trustees and management to make significant judgements and estimates.
The items in the accounts where these judgements and estimates have been made include:
- estimating the useful economic life of tangible fixed assets;
- allocation of support costs across charitable activities; and
- estimating the value of legacies to be recognised in accordance with FRS 102.
## **Assessment of going concern**
The trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern assumption is appropriate in preparing these accounts. The trustees have made this assessment in respect to a period of one year from the date of approval of these accounts.
The trustees of the charity have concluded that there are no material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The trustees are of the opinion that the charity will have sufficient resources to meet its liabilities as they fall due.
## **Consolidated accounts**
The accounts consolidate, on a line-by-line basis, the results of the Charity and its charitable subsidiary, St Gemma’s Hospice, and the hospice’s subsidiary, St Gemma’s Hospice Services Limited, made up to the balance sheet date.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **49**
## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2025
## **Income recognition**
Income is recognised in the period in which the Group has entitlement to the income, the amount of income can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.
Income comprises donations and legacies, investment income and interest receivable, income from the provision of hospice care, retreat income, grants receivable, income from trading activities (including the operation of charity shops, room hire and income from fundraising events and lotteries) and miscellaneous income.
Donations, including salaries and pensions of individual religious received under Gift Aid or deed of covenant, and donations from the Cross and Passion Charitable Trust are recognised when the Group and Charity has confirmation of both the amount and settlement date. In the event of donations pledged but not received, the amount is accrued for where the receipt is considered probable and can be reliably estimated. In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance before the Group and Charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the Group and Charity and it is probable that those conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.
In accordance with the Charities SORP FRS 102 volunteer time is not recognised.
Gifts in kind and donated services are included at the lower of their value to the Group and Charity and their estimated market value.
Legacies are included in the statement of financial activities when the Group and Charity is entitled to the legacy, the executors have established that there are sufficient surplus assets in the estate to pay the legacy, and any conditions attached to the legacy are within the control of the Group and Charity.
Entitlement is taken as the earlier of the date on which either: the Group and Charity is aware that probate has been granted, the estate has been finalised and notification has been made by the executor to the Group and Charity that a distribution will be made, or when a distribution is received from the estate. Receipt of a legacy, in whole or in part, is only considered probable when the amount can be measured reliably and the Group and Charity has been notified of the executor’s intention to make a distribution. Where legacies have been notified to the Group and Charity, or the Group and Charity are aware of the granting of probate, but the criteria for income recognition have not been met, then the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed if material. In the event that the gift is in the form of an asset other than cash or a financial asset traded on a recognised stock exchange, recognition is subject to the value of the gift being reliably measurable with a degree of reasonable accuracy and the title of the asset having being transferred to the Group and Charity.
Dividends are recognised once the dividend has been declared and notification has been received of the dividend due.
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the Group and Charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **50**
**Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2025
## **Income recognition** (continued)
Contracts and service agreements in respect to the provision of hospice care are recognised to the extent that it is probable that the economic benefits will flow to the Group and Charity and the income can be reliably measured. It is measured at fair value of the consideration received or receivable, excluding any relevant value added tax.
Income from the provision of retreats is recognised to the extent that it is probable that the economic benefits will flow to the Charity and the income can be reliably measured. It is measured at fair value of the consideration received or receivable, excluding any relevant value added tax.
Grants from government, NHS bodies, Clinical Commissioning Groups and from trusts and foundations have been included as income from charitable activities, i.e. the provision of healthcare and related services where they amount to a contract for services but as donations where the money is given in response to an appeal or grant application or with greater freedom of use, e.g. for core purposes. Deferred income includes amounts received in respect of grants received for work to be carried out in the next financial year.
Income received by way of fundraising events, lotteries, room hire and other trading receipts are credited in the accounts when the Group and Charity are legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. These are shown gross before deductions of related expenses and net of VAT.
## **Expenditure recognition**
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. The classification between activities is as follows:
- a. Expenditure on raising funds comprises the salaries, direct costs and overheads incurred in soliciting donations, the costs associated with operating charity shops and the fees paid to investment managers in connection with the management of the Group and Charity’s listed investments, net of rebates received. Rebates arise when the fees deducted automatically through charges for common investment funds and related transactions exceed the fees agreed between the Group and Charity and their investment managers.
- b. Expenditure on charitable activities comprises expenditure on the Group and Charity’s primary charitable purposes as described in the trustees’ report and includes:
- Expenditure incurred in the provision of hospice services including the costs of providing clinical, emotional and spiritual care to physically ill people of all races and creeds at St Gemma’s Hospice.
- Expenditure on provision of retreats to members of the public.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **51**
## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2025
## **Expenditure recognition** (continued)
- Charitable donations which relate, in the main, to the support of the Charity’s missionary work overseas and the support of the Roman Catholic charitable organisations.
- Expenditure on the support of the work of the Sisters. Such expenditure enables the members to carry out the work of the Charity in the areas of the advancement of the Roman Catholic faith and the relief of poverty.
All expenditure is stated inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.
## **Allocation of indirect costs and governance costs**
Indirect costs represent indirect charitable expenditure. In order to carry out the primary purposes of the Charity and Group it is necessary to provide support in the form of personnel development, financial procedures, provision of office services and equipment and a suitable working environment.
Governance costs comprise the costs involving the public accountability of the Charity and Group (including audit costs) and costs in respect to its compliance with regulation and good practice.
Indirect costs and governance costs are able to be allocated directly to the specific charitable activities to which they relate.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
All assets costing more than £1,000 and with an expected useful life exceeding one year are capitalised.
- _Freehold land and buildings_
- Freehold land and buildings are shown on the balance sheet at deemed cost or, where donated, at their value at the date of donation.
Depreciation is provided at 2% per annum on a straight line basis to write the buildings off over their estimated useful life to the Charity. Land is not depreciated.
- _Improvements to leasehold properties_ Improvements to leasehold properties are capitalised and depreciated at 5% per annum on a straight line basis.
- _Plant, furniture and equipment_
- Expenditure on the purchase and replacement of items of plant, furniture and equipment, including computer equipment, is depreciated over a four to six year period on a reducing balance basis.
- _Motor vehicles_
- Motor vehicles are capitalised and depreciated over a four to five year period on a reducing balance basis, in order to write off each vehicle over its estimated useful life.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **52**
## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2025
## **Tangible fixed assets** (continued)
- _Computer equipment_ Computer equipment is capitalised and depreciated over a four year period on a straight line basis, in order to write off each item over its estimated useful life.
- _Assets under construction_
Assets under construction are included at cost. Depreciation on these assets is not charged until they are brought into use and reclassified to freehold land and buildings, or improvements to leasehold properties.
## **Fixed asset investments**
Listed investments are a form of basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price.
The Group and Charity do not acquire put options, derivatives or other complex financial instruments.
As noted above the main form of financial risk faced by the Group and Charity is that of volatility in equity markets and investment markets due to wider economic conditions, the attitude of investors to investment risk, and changes in sentiment concerning equities and within particular sectors or sub sectors.
Realised gains (or losses) on investment assets are calculated as the difference between disposal proceeds and their opening carrying value or their purchase value is acquired subsequent to the first day of the financial year. Unrealised gains and losses are calculated as the difference between the fair value at the year end and their carrying value at that date. Realised and unrealised investment gains (or losses) are combined in the statement of financial activities and are credited (or debited) in the year in which they arise.
## **Programme related investments**
Programme related investments comprise units in an investment vehicle promoting global justice by challenging people, churches and others to share their resources though socially responsible investments and by empowering disadvantaged people by providing them with credit. These are included on the balance sheet at cost with any diminution in value debited to the statement of financial activities.
## **Stocks**
Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Items donated for resale are not included in the accounts until they are sold.
## **Debtors**
Debtors are recognised at their settlement amount, less any provision for non-recoverability. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid.
## **Current Asset Investments**
Current asset investments include short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **53**
## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2025
## **Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank and in hand represents such accounts and instruments that are available on demand or have a maturity of less than three months from the date of acquisition.
## **Creditors**
Creditors are recognised when there is an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably. Creditors are recognised at the amount the Group and Charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt.
## **Fund structure**
The general fund comprises those monies which may be used towards meeting the charitable objectives of the Charity and which may be applied at the discretion of the trustees.
The tangible fixed assets fund represents the net book value of the tangible fixed assets excluding those used by St Gemma’s Hospice.
The designated funds are monies set aside out of general funds and designated for specific purposes, although the trustees may ultimately use such funds for other purposes.
The restricted funds are monies raised for, and their use restricted to, a specific purpose, or donations subject to donor imposed conditions and comprise the net assets of St Gemma’s Hospice and its subsidiary.
## **Foreign currencies**
Assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the average rate of exchange for the year. Exchange differences are taken into account in arriving at the net movement in funds.
## **Pension costs**
## _**Charity:**_
The Charity offers its employees membership of a defined contribution pension scheme administered by the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). Contributions to the scheme are debited to the statement of financial activities in the year in which they are payable to the scheme. The assets of the scheme are held by an independent corporate trustee, whose activities are governed by the National Employment Savings Trust Order 2010, made by the Secretary of State in exercise of powers confirmed under the Pensions Act 2008.
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice**_
The hospice operates two pension schemes:
- The National Health Service Superannuation Scheme, a defined benefit scheme which is only available to staff who have previously contributed to the scheme. The administration of this scheme is dealt with by the National Health Service agencies. Contributions to this scheme are paid in respect of current service, there is no liability to the hospice in respect of past service and the hospice has applied the multi-employer exemption under FRS 102 to account for the scheme as a defined contribution scheme.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **54**
## **Principal accounting policies** 31 March 2025
**Pension costs** (continued)
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice**_ (continued)
- A Group Personal Pension Scheme, which is a defined contribution pension scheme, administered by Standard Life which is available to all employees.
## **Services provided by members of the Congregation**
For the purpose of these accounts, no monetary value has been placed on the care, administrative and other services provided by the members of the Congregation.
## **Operating leases**
Rentals applicable to operating leases where substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership remain with the lessor are charged to the statement of financial activities on a straight line basis over the lease term.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **55**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **1 Donations and legacies**
|**Group**
Salaries and pensions of
individual religious received
under Gift Aid or deed of
covenant
Legacies
Donations
Grants
Other voluntary income
**Total funds**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|Restricted
funds
£|Total
funds
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||
**1,348,977**
**13,368**
**133,051**
**—**
**10,338**
**1,505,734**|**—**
**1,631,871**
**1,900,030**
**234,649**
**—**
**3,766,550**|**1,348,977**
**1,645,239**
**2,033,081**
**234,649**
**10,338**
**5,272,284**|1,440,999
8,378
108,772
—
90
1,558,239|—
1,796,980
1,351,231
124,347
—
3,272,558|1,440,999
1,805,358
1,460,003
124,347
90
4,830,797|
All unrestricted funds for both 2024 and 2025 relate to the Charity only. The Charity received no restricted donations and legacies during the year ended 31 March 2025 (2024 – none).
## **2 Investment income and interest receivable**
|**Group**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|Restricted
funds
£|Total
funds
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Income from listed investments
Interest receivable
. Bank interest
. Interest on cash held by investment
managers
**Total funds**|**349,161**|**138,118**|**487,279**|316,146|157,967|474,113|
||**277,864**
**18,552**|**263,061**
**—**|**540,925**
**18,552**|261,060
48,042|155,867
—|416,927
48,042|
||**296,416**|**263,061**|**559,477**|309,102|155,867|464,969|
||**645,577**|**401,179**|**1,046,756**|625,248|313,834|939,082|
All unrestricted funds for the year ended 31 March 2024 and 2025 relate to the Charity only. The Charity received no restricted investment income and interest receivable in the year ended 31 March 2024 and 2025.
## **3 Income from the provision of hospice care**
|**Group**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**4,812,638**
**226,376**
**243,729**
**94,611**
**186,501**
**5,563,855**|Unrestricted
funds
£|Restricted
funds
£|Total
funds
2024
£
4,509,535
—
159,579
83,518
170,662
4,923,294|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|District Health Authority Income
Hospice UK grant
Training and education
Bistro
Other income
**Total funds**|**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**|**4,812,638**
**226,376**
**243,729**
**94,611**
**186,501**
**5,563,855**||—
—
—
—
—
—|4,509,535
—
159,579
83,518
170,662
4,923,294||
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **56**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **4 Expenditure on the provision of hospice care**
|**Group**
In-patient care
Community care
Day hospice
Bereavement support
Education and research
**Total funds**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
**6,749,951**
**2,016,658**
**679,298**
**452,528**
**828,266**
**10,726,701**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**6,749,951**
**2,016,658**
**679,298**
**452,528**
**828,266**
**10,726,701**|Unrestricted
funds
£|Restricted
funds
£
6,252,461
1,892,116
625,617
303,926
743,315
9,817,435|Total
funds
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**|||—
—
—
—
—
—||6,252,461
1,892,116
625,617
303,926
743,315
9,817,435|
## **5 Donations and support of overseas missions**
|**Group and Charity**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
**—**
**—**
**—**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**
**11,300**
**6,399**
**17,699**|Unrestricted
funds
£|Restricte
fund
|d
s
£
Total
funds
2024
£
140,000
13,634
153,634|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Grants to the Sisters of the Cross and
Passion Charitable Trust
Grants to the Congregation's
overseas missions|**11,300**
**6,399**
**17,699**|||140,000
13,634
153,634|—
—
—||
## **6 Support of members of the Congregation and their ministry**
|**Group and Charity**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|Restricted
funds
£|Total
funds
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Sisters’ living and personal expenses
Premises
Education, training and spiritual
renewal
Administrative and similar costs
Other costs
Foreign exchange losses
Governance costs (note 7)
**Total funds**|**596,491**
**4,034,644**
**439,665**
**916,073**
**22,381**
**73,525**
**88,937**
**6,171,716**|**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**|**596,491**
**4,034,644**
**439,665**
**916,073**
**22,381**
**73,525**
**88,937**
**6,171,716**|627,960
3,656,736
406,784
682,875
16,522
90,566
84,053
5,565,496|—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—|627,960
3,656,736
406,784
682,875
16,522
90,566
84,053
5,565,496|
## **7 Governance costs**
|**Governance costs**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Group**
Accountancy
Auditor’s remuneration
. Statutory
. Non-statutory
St Gemma’s other costs
Bank fees and charges|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
**48,670**
**28,393**
**—**
**—**
**11,874**
**88,937**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
**—**
**19,040**
**1,995**
**84,000**
**—**
**105,035**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**|Unrestricted
funds
£|Restricted
funds
£
—
21,475
4,900
80,211
—
106,586|Total
funds
2024
£|
||||**48,670**
**47,433**
**1,995**
**84,000**
**11,874**
**193,972**|49,215
22,562
—
—
12,276
84,053||49,215
44,037
4,900
80,211
12,276
190,639|
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **57**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **7 Governance costs** (continued)
The above governance costs have been allocated to the following activities:
|Raising funds
In-patient care
Community care
Day hospice
Bereavement support
Education and research
Support of members of the
Congregation and their ministry|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**funds**
**2025**
**£**|Unrestricted
£|Restricted
£|Total
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**
**88,937**
**88,937**|**36,841**
**42,031**
**11,080**
**7,046**
**2,782**
**5,255**
**—**
**105,035**|**36,841**
**42,031**
**11,080**
**7,046**
**2,782**
**5,255**
**88,937**
**193,972**|—
—
—
—
—
—
84,053
84,053|36,938
43,849
10,722
7,336
2,702
5,039
—
106,586|36,938
43,849
10,722
7,336
2,702
5,039
84,053
190,639|
## **8 Net (expenditure) income and net movement in funds**
This is stated after charging:
|**Group**|**Total**
**2025**
**£**
**47,433**
**1,995**
**1,396,134**
**611,716**
**12,271**|Total
2024
£
44,037
4,900
1,350,689
522,360
13,746
Total
2024
£
22,562
627,219|
|---|---|---|
|Auditor’s remuneration
. Statutory
. Non-statutory- Taxation services & reporting to group auditors
Depreciation
Operating lease rental - land and buildings
Operating lease rental - equipment|||
|**Charity**|**Total**
**2025**
**£**
**28,393**
**634,798**||
|Auditors’ remuneration
. Statutory
Depreciation|||
## **9 Staff costs and remuneration of key management personnel**
|**Staff costs and remuneration of key management personnel**|||
|---|---|---|
|**Group**|**2025**
**£**
**12,361,024**
**1,145,440**
**829,315**
**14,335,779**|2024
£|
|Staff costs during the year were as follows:
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs||11,588,712
1,049,141
768,393
13,406,246|
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **58**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **9 Staff costs and remuneration of key management personnel** (continued)
|**Charity**|**2025**
**£**|2024
£|
|---|---|---|
|Staff costs during the year were as follows:
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs|**2,612,443**
**223,921**
**34,452**
**2,870,816**|2,389,307
201,027
30,089
2,620,423|
The number of employees who earned £60,000 per annum or more (excluding employer’s pension contributions but including taxable benefits) during the year is shown below. All of the higher paid employees were employed at St Gemma’s Hospice.
|**Group**|**Total**
**2025**
**No.**|Total
2024
No.|
|---|---|---|
|£60,001 - £70,000
£70,001 - £80,000
£80,001 - £90,000
£90,001 - £100,000
£100,001 - £110,000
£120,001 - £130,000
£140,001 - £150,000
£150,001 - £160,000
£170,001 - £180,000|**5**
**2**
**2**
**1**
**—**
**1**
**1**
**1**
**1**|1
1
2
1
2
—
—
1
—|
||**14**|8|
As shown above, St Gemma’s Hospice has employed fourteen individuals (2024 – eight) who earned over £60,000. Four (2024 -Four) of these are medical consultants who are directly employed on NHS equivalent contracts, in line with national agreements. The others are members of the Hospice Leadership Team (HLT), responsible for running the Hospice. The Chief Executive is not the highest paid employee. No trustees received remuneration during the current or prior year. No travel or subsistence expenses were paid to trustees during the current or prior year.
The average headcount of employees during the year was:
||**2025**
**No.**|2024
No.|
|---|---|---|
|St Gemma’s Hospice
Support of Sisters and their ministry|**305**
**112**
**417**|299
117
416|
The Trustees consider that they, together with the Province Bursar, comprise the key management personnel of the Charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the Charity on a day to day basis.
In terms of St Gemma’s Hospice, the Charity’s subsidiary, the board of St Gemma’s Hospice is responsible for the overall direction and management of the hospice. The Board has overall responsibility for ensuring the Hospice is managed efficiently, approves the strategy and oversees its implementation.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **59**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
- **9 Staff costs and remuneration of key management personnel** (continued) The Chief Executive of the Hospice leads a Hospice Leadership Team (HLT) consisting of the Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Chief Medical Officer, Director of Income Generation and Chief Nurse. The HLT has a strategic role in driving forward the hospice and assisting the Chief Executive in discharging the duties delegated by the Board. It is the HLT that is in charge of challenging, leading, running and supporting the hospice to achieve its aims.
As explained in note 10 below, all Trustees are members of the Congregation and whilst their living and personal expenses are borne by the Charity they receive no remuneration or reimbursement of expenses in connection with their duties as Trustees.
The Charity's Trustees are all members of the Congregation and consequently their living and personal expenses, all of which are consistent with the amounts paid in respect to other members of the Congregation, are borne by the Charity. No Trustees received any remuneration or reimbursement of expenses in connection with their duties as Trustees (2024 – none) and therefore no remuneration was payable to the key management of the Charity during the year (2024 – none).
The total remuneration (including taxable benefits, employer's pension contributions and employers’ national insurance contributions) of the key management personnel of St Gemma’s Hospice and the group for the year was £666k (2024 – £717k).
## **10 Trustees' expenses and remuneration and transactions with trustees**
The Charity's Trustees are all members of the Congregation and consequently their living and personal expenses, all of which are consistent with the amounts paid in respect to other members of the Congregation, are borne by the Charity. No Trustees received any remuneration or reimbursement of expenses in connection with their duties as Trustees (2024 – none).
As members of the Congregation, none of the trustees have resources of their own as all earnings, pensions and other income have been donated to the charity under a Gift Aid compliant Deed of Covenant. During the year, the total amount donated by the trustees to the charity was £54,383 (2024 – £64,861).
The trustees of St Gemma's Hospice did not receive any remuneration (2024 – none). No trustees of St Gemma's Hospice was reimbursed expenses during the year (2024 – £nil). Indemnity insurance is provided for the trustees of St. Gemma's Hospice. The aggregate amount of cash donations received from Trustees of St Gemma’s Hospice during the year was £1,655 (2024 – £5,195).
Schofield Sweeney has provided legal advice in relation to St Gemma’s Hospice’s lease arrangements. Chris Schofield (a trustee of St Gemma’s Hospice, who resigned on 30 September 2023) is the Chairman of Schofield Sweeney.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **60**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **11 Tangible fixed assets**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Freehold Improvements Plant,
land and to leasehold furniture and Motor Assets under
buildings property equipment vehicles construction Total
Group £ £ £ £ £ £
Cost or valuation
At 1 April 2024 30,617,217 6,691,003 7,144,862 452,996 212,051 45,118,129
Transfers — 287,490 — — (287,490)) —
— —
Exchange movement (67,201) (2,318) (2,218) (71,737)
Additions — — 668,081 13,995 75,439 757,515
— — —
Disposals (19,190) (21,195) (40,385)
At 31 March 2025 30,550,016 6,978,493 7,791,435 443,578 — 45,763,522
Assets at historic cost 10,264,798 6,978,493 7,791,435 443,578 — 25,478,304
Revalued assets 20,285,218 — — — — 20,285,218
30,550,016 6,978,493 7,791,435 443,578 — 45,763,522
Depreciation
At 1 April 2024 5,978,562 5,916,172 5,281,368 369,775 — 17,545,877
Charge for year 567,300 359,653 450,727 18,454 — 1,396,134
— —
Currency adjustment (15,611) (1,517) (1,901) (19,029)
— — —
On disposals (19,190) (18,874) (38,064)
At 31 March 2025 6,530,251 6,275,825 5,711,388 367,454 — 18,884,918
Net book values
At 31 March 2025 24,019,765 702,668 2,080,047 76,124 — 26,878,604
At 31 March 2024 24,638,655 774,831 1,863,494 83,221 212,051 27,572,252
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Freehold Plant,
land and furniture and Motor
buildings equipment vehicles Total
Charity £ £ £ £
Cost or valuation
At 1 April 2024 30,617,217 1,620,647 403,264 32,641,128
Additions — 101,312 13,995 115,307
Exchange movement (67,201) (2,318) (2,218) (71,737)
Disposals — — (21,195) (21,195)
At 31 March 2025 30,550,016 1,719,641 393,846 32,663,503
Assets at historic cost 10,264,798 1,719,641 393,846 12,378,285
Revalued assets 20,285,218 — — 20,285,218
30,550,016 1,719,641 393,846 32,663,503
Depreciation
At 1 April 2024 5,978,562 1,312,105 329,973 7,620,640
Charge for year 567,300 51,526 15,972 634,798
Currency adjustment (15,611) (1,495) (1,899) (19,005)
On disposals — — (18,874) (18,874)
At 31 March 2025 6,530,251 1,362,136 325,172 8,217,559
Net book values
At 31 March 2025 24,019,765 357,505 68,674 24,445,944
At 31 March 2024 24,638,655 308,542 73,291 25,020,488
**----- End of picture text -----**
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **61**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **12 Investments**
At 31 March 2025 fixed asset investments comprised:
||Group|Group|Charity|Charity|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**2025**
**£**|2024
£|**2025**
**£**|2024
£|
|Programme related investments (see a
below)
Listed investments and cash held for
re-investment (see b below)
At 31 March 2025|**134,340**
**19,980,490**
**20,114,830**|136,364
19,679,051
19,815,415|**134,340**
**13,329,514**
**13,463,854**|136,364
13,004,983
13,141,347|
## _**a. Programme related investments**_
The Charity holds units managed by Oikocredit International Share Foundation (Oikocredit). Oikocredit is incorporated as a foundation under the laws of the Netherlands and has its registered office in Amersfoot, Netherlands. The trustees consider it to be a suitable vehicle in which to invest, being a world-wide co-operative society, promoting global justice by challenging people, churches and others to share their resources through socially responsible investments and by empowering disadvantaged people by providing them with credit. Oikocredit offers a dual return to the investor: social and financial. In addition to earning modest financial returns, investors are secure in the knowledge that their money is being used to fight poverty, promote fair trade and respect our planet’s natural resources. As a result, the trustees believe it appropriate to regard these funds as programme related investments and they are included on the balance sheet at cost.
|**Group and Charity**|**2025**
**£**|2024
£|
|---|---|---|
|At 1 April 2024
Exchange movements
At 31 March 2025|**136,364**
**(2,024)**
**134,340**|139,239
(2,875)
136,364|
## _**b. Listed investments and cash held for re-investment**_
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2025 2024
Group £ £
Listed investments
Market value at 1 April 2024 18,960,614 18,564,311
Additions at cost 2,355,719 5,246,089
Disposals at book value (proceeds: £ 1,705,882; losses: £7,261) (1,713,143) (6,267,910)
Net unrealised investment (losses) gains (22,998) 1,418,124
Market value at 31 March 2025 19,580,192 18,960,614
Cash held by investment managers for reinvestment 400,298 718,437
19,980,490 19,679,051
Cost of listed investments at 31 March 2025 13,735,047 13,061,215
**----- End of picture text -----**
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **62**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **12 Investments** (continued)
## _**b. Listed investments and cash held for re-investment**_ (continued)
At 31 March 2025 listed investments held, all of which were dealt in on a recognised stock exchange, comprised the following:
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2025 2024
Group £ £
Fixed interest based common investment funds 1,111,835 974,542
Equities 2,931,275 2,852,809
Unit trusts 8,526,437 7,957,662
Alternative investments 832,121 1,062,253
Overseas funds 187,058 177,112
Property 5,991,466 5,936,234
19,580,192 18,960,612
**----- End of picture text -----**
Included in the investment portfolio was the following holding which, at 31 March 2025, had a market value which was deemed material in comparison with the market value of the total portfolio at that date:
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2025 2025 2024 2024
Market Percentage Market Percentage
value of portfolio value of portfolio
Group £ % £ %
Sarasin Endowments Fund (Income Units) 8,526,437 43.5 7,957,662 42.0
2025 2024
Charity £ £
Listed investments
Market value at 1 April 2024 12,346,966 12,489,766
Additions at cost 885,192 186,358
Disposals at book value (proceeds: £225,095, losses £12,456) (237,551) (1,251,432)
Net unrealised investment (losses) gains (28,761) 922,274
Market value at 31 March 2025 12,965,846 12,346,966
Cash held by investment managers for reinvestment 363,668 658,017
13,329,514 13,004,983
Cost of listed investments at 31 March 2025 7,601,235 7,097,779
**----- End of picture text -----**
At 31 March 2025, listed investments held, all of which were dealt in on a recognised stock exchange, comprised the following:
**----- Start of picture text -----**
2025 2024
Charity £ £
Fixed interest based common investment funds 422,780 278,048
Equities 2,291,474 2,194,833
Unit trusts 8,526,437 7,957,662
Alternative investments 222,601 475,275
Overseas funds 1,502,554 1,441,148
12,965,846 12,346,966
**----- End of picture text -----**
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **63**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **12 Investments** (continued)
## _**b. Listed investments and cash held for re-investment** (continued)_
Included in the investment portfolio was the following holding which, at 31 March 2025, had a market value which was deemed material in comparison with the market value of the total portfolio at that date:
|**Charity**|**2025**
**Market**
**value**
**£**
**8,526,437**|**2025**
**Percentage**
**of portfolio**
**%**
**67.2**|2024
Market
value
£
7,957,662|2024
Percentage
of portfolio
%
64.5|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Sarasin Endowments Fund (Income Units)|||||
## **13 Debtors**
|**Debtors**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Group**||**Charity**||
||**2025**
**£**|2024
£|**2025**
**£**|2024
£|
|Trade debtors
Income tax recoverable
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income|**6,756**
**51,463**
**571,976**
**233,930**
**864,125**|12,215
69,414
402,770
276,189
760,588|**—**
**—**
**—**
**28,449**
**28,449**|—
—
—
52,007
52,007|
## **14 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
||**Group**|**Group**|**Charity**|**Charity**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**2025**
**£**|2024
£|**2025**
**£**|2024
£|
|Expense creditors
Taxation and social security costs
Other creditors
Accrued expenditure|**7,269**
**36,686**
**599,253**
**381,043**
**1,024,251**|25,763
26,749
674,116
593,518
1,320,146|**951**
**36,686**
**19,833**
**71,253**
**128,723**|8,462
43,995
4,529
88,123
145,109|
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **64**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **15 Restricted funds**
The income funds of the Group and Charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust to be applied for specific purposes.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
At 1 At 31
April Income Expenditure March
2024 /gains /losses Transfers 2025
Group £ £ £ £ £
Hospice funds
Hospice general funds 8,806,125 15,357,917 (15,339,472) (339,155) 8,485,415
Hospice Designated Funds
Earmarked Funds (designated funds
in the Hospice) 52,934 — — — 52,934
. Service Transformation fund 154,306 — (37,960) 116,346
. Digital Development Reserve 464,664 — (65,734) (108,054) 290,876
— — — — —
. COVID Response Reserve
. AUPC Strategy Reserve 500,000 — — — 500,000
. Buildings Upgrade Reserve 2,197,385 — — (94,497) 2,102,888
. Leadership and Development
Reserve — — 200,000 200,000
Tangible fixed assets fund 2,551,764 — (742,119) 623,013 2,432,658
Hospice Restricted Funds
City-wide Education Programme 10,550 — — — 10,550
Postage costs – restricted donation 29,625 — (15,662) — 13,963
Training and Education 63,162 — (2,247) — 60,915
Hospice UK Grant Funding — 226,376 — (226,376) —
Restricted Trust Income 13,857 72,649 (15,568) (54,931) 16,007
Mental Health Clinical Nurse
Specialist 13,199 — (12,448) — 751
Sundry Restricted Donations 4,150 26,500 (17,967) — 12,683
14,861,721 15,683,442 (16,249,177) — 14,295,986
At 1 At 31
April Income Expenditure/ March
2023 /gains losses Transfers 2024
Group £ £ £ £ £
Hospice funds
Hospice general funds 11,215,951 14,335,852 (13,976,724) (2,768,954) 8,806,125
Hospice Designated Funds
Earmarked Funds (designated funds
in the Hospice) 52,934 — — — 52,934
. Maintenance of the Hospice 262,356 — — (189,168) 73,188
. Building Development reserve 214,174 — — (89,977) 124,197
. Service Transformation fund 201,311 — (77,614) — 123,697
. Digital Development Reserve 571,074 — (34,988) (71,422) 464,664
. COVID Response Reserve 30,609 — — — 30,609
. AUPC Strategy Reserve — — — 500,000 500,000
. Buildings Upgrade Reserve — — — 2,000,000 2,000,000
Tangible fixed assets fund 2,556,917 — (649,587) 644,434 2,551,764
Hospice Restricted Funds
City-wide Education Programme 10,550 — — — 10,550
Funding from Clinical
Commissioning Group for various
specific projects 18,378 — (5,179) — 13,199
Other restricted funds 104,749 108,131 (77,173) (24,913) 110,794
15,239,003 14,443,983 (14,821,265) — 14,861,721
**----- End of picture text -----**
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **65**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **15 Restricted funds** (continued)
The specific purposes for which the funds are to be applied are as follows:
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice general funds**_
This fund represents the net assets of St Gemma’s Hospice, which are not otherwise specifically restricted to purposes other than the general running and operation of the Hospice.
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice earmarked funds**_
These funds represent monies set aside out of funds available to the hospice by its trustees for future maintenance and renovation work, for staff development needs and to support the ongoing service development needs of the hospice.
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice tangible fixed assets fund**_
- This fund represents the net book value of the tangible fixed assets used in the day-today work of the hospice.
- _**St Gemma’s Hospice Restricted funds**_
- These represent monies given towards specific projects or purposes within St Gemma’s Hospice.
The funds held by St Gemma’s Hospice are for use specifically for the purposes of providing palliative care. As such funds should be deemed restricted in the consolidated accounts regardless of how they have been classified in the accounts of St Gemma’s Hospice.
The transfers between funds represent:
- expenditure on capital items; and
- the ring-fencing of amounts from the hospice general funds into hospice designated funds.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **66**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **16 Designated funds**
The income funds of the Charity included designated funds which had been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
At 1 At
April New Utilised/ 31 March
2024 designations released 2025
Group and Charity £ £ £ £
Future healthcare of Sisters 13,000,000 — — 13,000,000
Crisis donations 136,068 — (9,701) 126,367
Programme related investments fund 136,364 (2,026) — 134,340
13,272,432 (2,026) (9,701) 13,260,707
At 1 At
April New Utilised/ 31 March
2023 designations released 2024
Group and Charity £ £ £ £
Future healthcare of Sisters 13,000,000 — — 13,000,000
Crisis donations 136,698 27,982 (28,612) 136,068
Programme related investments fund 139,239 — (2,875) 136,364
13,275,937 27,982 (31,487) 13,272,432
**----- End of picture text -----**
The future healthcare of Sisters fund consists of monies which the Trustees set aside in order to provide for the Sisters in later life. The calculations, based on actuarial methods, indicated that £16 million is needed to be set aside in order to provide £20,000 per annum for Sisters over 65 years of age and, because of greater health needs, £30,000 to £40,000 per annum for Sisters over 75 years of age and £40,000 to £50,000 per annum for those over 90 years of age. The trustees have currently designated £13 million towards this reserve, with the intention of designating further funds in future years.
The crisis donations fund consists of monies which the trustees set aside from the proceeds of the disposal of a property in Liverpool. The fund will be used to fund donations to projects, run by others, which are trying to alleviate the suffering of asylum seekers, the homeless and crisis situations.
The programme related investments fund has been designated to represent the carrying value of the Charity’s programme related investments. The amount has been set aside from the Charity’s general funds in recognition of the fact that the assets have been invested in Oikocredit International Share Foundation and therefore cannot be regarded as funds that would be available to meet future contingencies.
## **17 Tangible fixed assets fund**
|**Group and Charity**|**2025**
**Total**
**£**|2024
Total
£|
|---|---|---|
|At 1 April 2024
Net movement in year
At 31 March 2025|**25,020,488**
**(574,544)**
**24,445,944**|25,625,885
(605,397)
25,020,488|
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **67**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **17 Tangible fixed assets fund** (continued)
The tangible fixed assets fund represents the net book value of the tangible fixed assets excluding those used by St Gemma’s Hospice. A decision was made to separate this fund from the other funds of the Charity in recognition of the fact that the tangible fixed assets are essential to the day to day work of the Charity and as such their value should not be regarded as funds that would be realisable with ease, in order to meet future contingencies.
## **18 Analysis of net assets between funds**
|**Group**|**General**
**fund**
**£**|**Tangible**
**fixed**
**assets**
**fund**
**£**|**Designated**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**2025**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Fund balances at 31 March**
**2025 are represented by:**
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Net current assets
**Total net assets**|**—**
**6,245,667**
**199,142**
**6,444,809**|**24,445,944**
**—**
**—**
**24,445,944**|**—**
**7,218,187**
**6,042,520**
**13,260,707**|**2,432,661**
**6,650,975**
**5,212,350**
**14,295,986**|**26,878,605**
**20,114,829**
**11,454,012**
**58,447,446**|
|Group|General
fund
£|Tangible
fixed
assets
fund
£|Designated
funds
£|Restricted
funds
£|Total
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Fund balances at 31 March
2024 are represented by:
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Net current assets
Total net assets|_—_
2,107
9,337,486
9,339,593|25,020,488
_—_
_—_
25,020,488|_—_
13,139,240
133,192
13,272,432|2,551,764
6,674,068
5,635,889
14,861,721|27,572,252
19,815,415
15,106,567
62,494,234|
|**Charity**|**General**
**fund**
**£**|**Tangible**
**fixed**
**assets**
**fund**
**£**|**Designated**
**funds**
**£**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**|**Total**
**2025**
**£**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Fund balances at 31 March**
**2025 are represented by:**
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Net current assets
**Total net assets**|**—**
**6,245,667**
**199,142**
**6,444,809**|**24,445,944**
**—**
**—**
**24,445,944**|**—**
**7,218,187**
**6,042,520**
**13,260,707**|**—**
**—**
**—**
**—**|**24,445,944**
**13,463,854**
**6,241,662**
**44,151,460**|
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **68**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **18 Analysis of net assets between funds** (continued)
|Charity|General
fund
£|Tangible
fixed
assets
fund
£|Designated
funds
£|Restricted
funds
£|Total
2024
£|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Fund balances at 31 March
2024 are represented by:
Tangible fixed assets
Investments
Net current assets
Total net assets|_—_
5,923,160
3,416,433
9,339,593|25,020,488
_—_
_—_
25,020,488|_—_
7,218,187
6,054,245
13,272,432|_—_
_—_
_—_
_—_|25,020,488
13,141,347
9,470,678
47,632,513|
The total unrealised gains as at 31 March 2025 constitute movements on revaluation and are as follows:
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Group Group Charity Charity
2025 2024 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Unrealised gains included above:
On investments 5,845,145 5,899,399 5,364,611 5,249,187
Total unrealised gains at 31 March 2025 5,845,145 5,899,399 5,364,611 5,249,187
Reconciliation of movements in unrealised gains
(losses)
Unrealised gains at 1 April 2024 5,899,399 5,753,185 5,249,187 4,888,531
Less: in respect of disposals in the year (31,256) (1,271,910) 144,185 (561,618)
Net (losses) gains arising on revaluation in the year (22,998) 1,418,124 (28,761) 922,274
Total unrealised gains at 31 March 2025 5,845,145 5,899,399 5,364,611 5,249,187
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **19 Pension commitments**
## _**Charity:**_
The Charity offers its employees membership of a defined contribution pension scheme administered by the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). Contributions to the scheme are debited to the statement of financial activities in the year in which they are payable to the scheme. The assets of the scheme are held by an independent corporate trustee, whose activities are governed by the National Employment Savings Trust Order 2010, made by the Secretary of State in exercise of powers confirmed under the Pensions Act 2008.
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice operates two pension schemes:**_
## **National Health Service Pension Scheme**
A defined benefit scheme operated by the National Health Service Superannuation Scheme, which is only available to staff who have previously contributed to the scheme. The administration of the scheme is dealt with by the National Health Service Pension agencies. Contributions to this scheme are paid in respect of current service, and there is no liability to the hospice in respect of past service.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **69**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **19 Pension commitments** (continued)
## _**St Gemma’s Hospice operates two pension schemes:** (continued)_
## **Group Personal Pension Scheme**
In addition there is a Group Personal Pension Scheme, which is a defined contribution pension scheme, administered by Standard Life which is available to all employees.
The charge to the consolidated statement of financial activities of £794,863 (2024 – £768,393) represents contributions to funds during the year. Contributions payable to the schemes at the year-end date totalling £nil (2024 – £43,452) are included in creditors.
## **20 Leasing commitments**
## _**Operating leases**_
At 31 March 2025, the Group had the following total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases relating to land and buildings and office equipment:
|**Group**|Land and|buildings|Office equipment|Office equipment|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**2025**
**£**|2024
£|**2025**
**£**|2024
£|
|Within one year
Between one and five years|**449,917**
**818,042**
**1,267,959**|417,458
958,417
1,375,875|**14,632**
**22,200**
**36,832**|12,271
18,233
30,504|
The Charity had no leasing commitments at 31 March 2025 (2024 – none).
## **21 St Gemma’s Hospice**
The charity wholly owns a subsidiary, St Gemma’s Hospice, a charitable company constituted as a company limited by guarantee, Charity Registration No. 1015941 and Company Registration No. 02773867 (England and Wales). The charitable company operates a hospice in Leeds providing palliative care, treatment or relief of people with active, progressive and advanced illnesses without regard to their means, culture, faith or belief. A summary of its results for the year is shown below. Audited accounts will be filed with both the Registrar of Companies and the Charity Commission.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **70**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **21 St Gemma’s Hospice** (continued)
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Unrestricted Designated Restricted Total funds
funds funds funds 2025
£ £ £ £
Income:
Donations, legacies and trusts 3,667,401 — 99,149 3,766,550
Other trading activities 5,940,900 — — 5,940,900
Investment income 401,179 — — 401,179
Charitable activities 5,337,479 — 226,376 5,563,855
Total income 15,346,959 — 325,525 15,672,484
Expenditure:
Cost of raising funds 5,522,476 — — 5,522,476
Charitable activities 9,816,996 845,813 63,892 10,726,701
Total expenditure 15,339,472 845,813 63,892 16,249,177
Gains on investments 10,958 — — 10,958
Net income (expenditure) before
transfers 18,445 (845,813) 261,633 (565,735)
Transfers between funds (339,155) 620,462 (281,307) —
Net movement in funds (320,710) (225,351) (19,674) (565,735)
Reconciliation of funds
Fund balances at 1 April 2024 8,806,125 5,921,053 134,543 14,861,721
Fund balances at 31 March 2025 8,485,415 5,695,702 114,869 14,295,986
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## **22 St Gemma’s Hospice Services Limited**
St Gemma’s Hospice has a wholly owned subsidiary, St Gemma’s Hospice Services Limited, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom and registered in England and Wales Company No. 03739423. The company undertakes trading activities including the sale of goods and the provision of room hire. A summary of its trading results for the year is shown below, the company donates its taxable profit to St Gemma’s Hospice under Gift Aid. Audited accounts will be filed with the Registrar of Companies.
||**2025**
**£**|2024
£|
|---|---|---|
|**Profit and loss account**
Turnover
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Administrative expenses
Management charge
**Operating profit**
Amount gift aided to St Gemma’s Hospice
Retained in subsidiary
**Aggregate capital and reserves**|**65,998**
**(21,398)**|57,374
(26,173)|
||**44,600**
**(2,684)**
**(17,987)**|31,201
(2,624)
(25,450)|
||**23,929**
**(23,929)**|3,127
(3,127)|
||—|—|
||**2**|2|
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **71**
**Notes to the accounts** 31 March 2025
## **23 Ultimate control**
The Charity, which is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, was controlled throughout the period by St Paul’s Province of the Sisters of the Cross and the Passion by virtue of the fact that the members of the Congregation appoint the Trustees. The Province does not hold any assets, incur liabilities or enter into any transactions in its own right.
## **24 Related parties**
During the year ended 31 March 2025, the charity made donations amounting to £11,300 (2024 – £140,000) to the Sisters of the Cross and Passion Charitable Trust (the predecessor charity) to cover legal fees, insurance premia, utility bills and security costs relating to St Gabriel’s Hall and the Imani Centre. These properties were sold by the predecessor charity during 2024, resulting in a donation of the proceeds of £9,750,000 from the predecessor charity to the Charity.
In addition, a further donation of £nil (2024 – £70,000) was made to the Charity by the predecessor charity to support its cashflow.
Other than the transactions detailed above and in notes 9 and 10, there are no related party transactions that require disclosure (2024 – none).
As members of the Congregation, none of the trustees have resources of their own as all earnings, pensions and other income have been donated to the charity under a Gift Aid compliant Deed of Covenant. During the year, the total amount donated by the trustees to the charity was £56,783 (2024 – £64,861).
## **25 Taxation**
The Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO and St Gemma’s Hospice are both registered charities and, therefore, they are not liable to income tax or corporation tax on income or gains derived from their charitable activities, as they fall within the various exemptions available to registered charities.
The trading subsidiary of St Gemma’s Hospice is liable to corporation tax on its taxable profits. Current tax, including UK corporation tax and foreign tax, is provided at amounts expected to be paid (or recovered) using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. No tax was payable during the year (2024 – £nil)
## **26 Liability of members**
If the CIO is wound up, the member of the CIO has no liability to contribute to its assets and has no personal responsibility for settling its debts and liabilities.
Sisters of the Cross and Passion CIO **72**