2025-03-31-accounts

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

UK-St Helena Heritage Trust

Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements

1 April 2024

31 March 2025

Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity Number: 1185952

Charity Information	3
Trustees’ Report	4
Independent Examiner’s Report	7
Statement of Receipts and Payments	9
Statement of Fund Movements	10
Statement of Assets and Liabilities	11
Notes to the Financial Statements	12

Charity Information

Trustees Sir Brian Unwin KCB (Chair; resigned April 2024) Michael Binyon OBE (Chair from April 2024) Penelope, Viscountess Cobham CBE (Vice Chair from April 2024) Oni Oviri (Treasurer) Thomas Peregrine Stansfeld Bryant Dr Rebecca Cairns-Wicks MBE Dan Cruickshank (resigned April 2024) Philip Davies OBE Professor Alan Forrest Dr Peter Hicks Philip John Sharman Kedell Worboys MBE Patron Jean-Christophe Napoleon Bonaparte Executive Director Martyn Weeds (until 31 December 2024) Katherine Prior (from 1 January 2025) Address c/o St Helena Government UK Office Alliance House 12 Caxton Street London SW1H 0QS Website www.uk-sthelenaheritagetrust.org Charity Number 1185952 Bankers The Co-operative Bank PO Box 250 Skelmersdale WN8 6WT

Trustees’ Report 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025

Structure, Governance and Management

The UK-St Helena Heritage Trust (the ‘Charity’) – formerly the British Napoleonic Bicentenary Trust – is constituted under the terms of its governing document (‘Constitution’), revised and adopted by special resolution of the Board of Trustees on 5[th] July 2023. The Constitution is that of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The members of the CIO are its Trustees. Trustees are appointed for a term of two years by resolution at a properly convened meeting of the Charity Trustees. There were three meetings of the Trustees during the reporting period, and an informal get together in January 2024 to welcome the new Executive Director.

At the beginning of the reporting period, the Trust’s founding Chair, Sir Brian Unwin, stood down. He was succeeded in the role by the then Vice Chair, Michael Binyon OBE, and in his place Viscountess Cobham agreed to serve as Vice Chair. Trustee Dan Cruickshank also resigned as a Trustee during the reporting period. The Trustees would like to record their thanks and appreciation of the contributions of both Sir Brian and Dan to the founding and evolution of the Trust over the past five years.

The objects of the Charity are to advance education for the public benefit by the restoration and preservation of historic sites of cultural, historical and/or architectural significance in the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena (the ‘Sites’), in particular but not exclusively by:

a) promoting public knowledge and appreciation of the history of the Sites;
b) advancing education of the public in the historical significance of the Georgian era (1714-1837) in the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, with a particular emphasis on the Napoleonic era (1799-1815) and Napoleon Bonaparte’s internment on the island (1815-1821); and
c) promoting and supporting the renovation, preservation and enhancement of the Sites for the public benefit.

On a day-to-day basis, the Charity is run by a part time Executive Director, supported by the Trustees. The position of Executive Director is remunerated by the St Helena Government as part of their support of the Charity.

Martyn Weeds resigned as Executive Director at the end of 2024, and was succeeded in the role by Katherine Prior, an historian and fundraiser in the heritage sector. The Trustees are very grateful to Martyn for steering the Trust through its transition period from the British Napoleonic Bicentenary Trust to its new identity as the UK-St Helena Heritage Trust, and have extended a warm welcome to his successor, Katherine Prior.

Main Activities Undertaken for the Public Benefit in Relation to the Objects of the Charity

The Trustees have referred to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when setting and reviewing the Charity’s aims and objectives and in planning the Charity’s future activities. In particular, the Trustees have considered how planned activities contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set. The Trustees are satisfied that the Charity continues to meet the Charity Commission’s guidelines with regard to carrying out its purposes for the public benefit.

Following the public launch of the Trust’s new identity as the UK-St Helena Heritage Trust in January 2024, the 2024-25 reporting period was in part a time of transition.

The Trust continued to support the restoration of Jacob’s Ladder, with the transfer to the St Helena Government (SHG) in February of a final £28,000 from Lord Ashcroft’s donation to support the cost of new lighting for the repaired monument, the total cost of which is likely to be £40,000. The Trust remains grateful to Lord Ashcroft for his generous funding to repair Jacob’s Ladder, and also to Trustee Peregrine Bryant, who has helped advise SHG on the lighting design. Devising appropriate lighting that meets both safety standards and Dark Sky criteria, while also being aesthetically pleasing, has been challenging. The approved design, comprising 46 small grey bollard LED lights on each side of the ladder, is scheduled for installation in early 2026.

The Trust continues to work in partnership with the St Helena National Trust and Liberated African Advisory Committee to record and restore the ‘No. 1 Building’, constructed in 1865 as an accommodation block to house up to 80 former slaves in the Liberated African Establishment in Rupert’s Valley, St Helena. The site of the Liberated African Establishment and the nearby burial grounds is of global significance and of vital importance for understanding St Helena’s role in the ending of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It has been described by the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool as ‘one of the most important archaeological finds of recent times in one of the most remote places on earth’.

In June 2024, the Trust helped the St Helena National Trust secure a grant of £10,000 from the Headley Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Trusts, for development work on the No. 1 Building project. The Headley Trust was able to pay the grant direct to the St Helena National Trust, so the transaction does not appear in the UK-St Helena Heritage Trust accounts. The preparatory work for this project is ongoing and the Trust wishes to record its thanks to Trustee Peregrine Bryant for his pro bono services as a conservation architect advising the project, and also to Trustee Philip Davies who has helped the St Helena National Trust secure funding from the Commonwealth Heritage Forum for both the No. 1 Building project and a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for Jamestown. Peregrine has also offered pro bono services in researching and drafting the CMP.

A public webinar featuring Louis Sarkozy in conversation with Trustee Professor Alan Forrest about the books in Napoleon’s library unfortunately had to be cancelled at the last minute owing to its clash with the General Election on 4 July 2024. The Trust has since hosted three more webinars promoting St Helena’s history and heritage, which will be covered in more detail in next year’s annual report.

Three e-newsletters were issued to the Trust’s 400 subscribers in 2024-25. In April 2024, the recording of the ‘Breaking the Chain’ webinar was posted to the Trust’s YouTube channel and has since accrued over 240 views.

Financial Review

The Charity’s total receipts were £90,040, of which £90,000 comprised a second generous donation from Lord Ashcroft KCMG, PC towards the restoration of Jacob’s Ladder and other built heritage-related projects on St Helena. Unrestricted income was £40. As the Charity has no debts, liabilities, or recurring costs beyond those associated with maintenance of the website, the end of year unrestricted £5,621 cash at bank is considered sufficient reserves for the time being.

The Charity’s expenditure in the same period was £89,876, representing transfers to the St Helena Government from Lord Ashcroft’s donation for the restoration of Jacob’s Ladder.

There was no expenditure on website costs in the reporting period; currently they are incurred only once every two years.

Future Plans

The main focus of activity in 2025-26 is expected to be fundraising for and promotion of the restoration of the No. 1 Building, the single surviving structure from the Liberated African Establishment in Rupert’s Valley, and the development of an interpretation centre focusing on St Helena’s role in the ending of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. This project is nearing the end of its development phase, and securing substantial funds for the initial capital works will be a priority for the next year.

The Trust is also keen to secure the advice of an appropriately qualified structural engineer to devise stabilisation repairs for High Knoll Fort and other at-risk batteries and fortifications on St Helena, including Banks Battery and Munden’s Battery.

Financial Statements

The financial statements have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis with all revenue and expenses shown on a cash basis.

The financial statements have been drawn up in compliance with the relevant provisions of the Charities Act 2011 and the Charity’s Constitution.

Approved by the Trustees on 13 January 2026 and signed on their behalf by:

Michael Binyon OBE Chair

Independent Examiner’s Report

UK-St Helena Heritage Trust	UK-St Helena Heritage Trust	UK-St Helena Heritage Trust
31 March 2025	Charity no (if any)	1185952
9 to 12 of this Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 March 2025. As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: • the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or

the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.

Date: 12/1/2026 Signed: Name: ANDREW JOHN WOODWARD Relevant professional Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers - ACIB qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 7 College Street Brighton BN2 1JG

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of N/A any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

Statement of Receipts and Payments

For the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

	Unrestricted	Restricted	Total Funds	Previous
	Funds (£)	Funds (£)	(£)	Year (£)
Receipts
Donations	40	90,000	90,040	705
Grants	-	-	-	-
Income from Events	-	-	-	-
Sales	-	-	-	-
Bank Interest	-	-	-	-
Total Receipts	40	90,000	90,040	705
Payments
Fundraising Costs	-	-	-	-
Event Costs	-	-	-	-
Website Costs	-	-	-	277
Rebranding Costs	-	-	-	300
Restoration Projects	-	89,876	89,876	6,867
Total Payments	-	89,876	89,876	7,444

Net Receipts	40	124	164	(6,739)
(Payments)

Statement of Fund Movements