City of Nottingham Historic Buildings Limited
Company number: 11506989 Registered charity number: 1187975
Report and accounts for year ended 31 March 2025
0
City of Nottingham Historic Buildings Limited
Legal and administrative information
Company number: 11506989
Company type: Private Company limited by guarantee without share capital
Incorporated: 8 August 2018
Registered office and principal address:
149 Holme Road West Bridgford Nottingham NG2 5AG
Directors and trustees
The directors and trustees serving for the whole of the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 were as follows:
Paul Seddon Laura Summers Paul Denney Nicholas Ebbs Toby Ebbs Louise O’Donoghue (appointed 1[st] February 2025) Hilary Brindley (appointed 1[st] February 2025) Peter Ellis (resigned 6[th] February 2025)
Following the end of the period in question, a further director was appointed:
Caroline Warren (appointed 24[th] April 2025)
Secretary
Paul Denney
Charitable status
The company was registered on 14 February 2020 as an incorporated charitable organisation with the Charity Commission for England, registration number 1187975.
1
City of Nottingham Historic Buildings Limited Report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025
Contents
-
Trustees’ report
-
Statement of financial activities
-
Balance sheet
-
Notes to the accounts
2
City of Nottingham Historic Buildings Limited
Trustees’ report
Introduction
The trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Financial statements
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the notes to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016).
Principal activity
The principal activity of the company is carrying on a charity to save, preserve and restore at-risk heritage buildings in Nottingham.
Key objectives and public benefit
The charity’s key objectives are:
-
To promote for the public benefit the preservation, conservation and improvement of the protected heritage assets of the city of Nottingham comprising Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings, Registered Parks and Gardens, Historic Buildings in Conservation Areas, and locally listed heritage assets and to educate the public in such heritage assets and their conservation.
-
The advancement of education, for the public benefit, in heritage skills and best practice in heritage conservation and design.
-
Such charitable purposes for the public benefit as are exclusively charitable according to the laws of England and Wales as the trustees may from time to time determine.
Achievements and performance
During the period, the charity was significantly re-animated with a new Board of directors and a new focus on raising funds for its first major heritage project in Nottingham. This first major project is the
3
restoration of People’s Hall, Heathcote Street, Nottingham. This is a fine Georgian building with Grade II* listed status that has been vacant for over 15 years, and which is located in the heart of the Lace Market Conservation Area.
The People’s Hall is privately owned, and the owner has allowed the company a rent-free period for “meanwhile use”, as evidenced by a two-year lease signed in April 2025, after the end of the reporting period.
The charity was awarded a grant of £246,210 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in October 2024. The grant was awarded for the fulfilment of two goals: firstly, for the charity to establish itself as a self-sufficient and well-governed Building Preservation Trust (BPT); secondly to have successfully operated the Grade II* listed Peoples Hall in Nottingham in a ‘meanwhile use’ state for the two-year duration of this project.
The charity appointed a full-time development officer in March 2025.
Financial review
During the financial year the charity was awarded a grant of £246,210 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund as described above. 50% of the grant (£123,105) was drawn in the period and the balance of the grant is available to drawn until then end of the two-year grant period in February 2027.
It is expected that the charity will seek further funding in future periods for the continued operation and restoration of the People’s Hall.
During the period, the charity incurred administrative expenses of £11,570.
Governing document
The charity’s principal governing document is its memorandum and articles of association adopted on 19 December 2019 which sets out, inter alia, the key charitable objectives of the company referred to in the relevant section above.
Governance
The company is administered by its directors, who are its trustees for the purposes of charity law. There are currently 8 directors. Currently formal board meetings are held on a monthly basis. Between formal meetings the board will discuss any relevant matters as and when they arise. During the period in question, the directors have focused on recruiting new directors to develop the charity’s governance structure such that it will be able to take on responsibility for new projects in the future.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the period in question and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Paul Seddon
4
Laura Summers Paul Denney Nicholas Ebbs Toby Ebbs Louise O’Donoghue (appointed 1[st] February 2025) Hilary Brindley (appointed 1[st] February 2025) Peter Ellis (resigned 6[th] February 2025)
Following the end of the period in question, a further director was appointed:
Caroline Warren (appointed 24[th] April 2025)
The secretary who served throughout the period and to date was:
Paul Denney
Appointment of directors
To date, directors have been appointed by the existing board members as the company has become established. It is anticipated that, once the company has started to attract participating members, board appointments will be subject to approval by the members in general meeting in accordance with the company’s articles of association.
All directors give their time voluntarily and received no benefits from the company, other than expenses (if claimed) as set out in the accounts.
Transactions with Directors
No payments were made to directors in 2024-2025.
Director induction and training
To date, directors have been appointed on the basis of the expertise that they can bring to the company and registered charity. In future, new directors will meet the Chair and another director before being appointed, at which time all aspects of the charity, including its management arrangements, are discussed and explained. Prospective directors will be expected to attend a board meeting as an observer before being officially appointed. The Board is satisfied that its existing members understand their legal obligations, the charity’s constitution and all relevant financial matters.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
Toby Ebbs Director and chairman Date: 10.11. 2025
5
City of Nottingham Historic Buildings Limited
Statement of Financial activities (including income and expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2025
| Income Donations Grant Total income Expenditure Administration Raising funds Charitable activities Total resources expended Net movement in funds Fund balances on 1 April 2024 Fund balances on 31 March 2025 |
2024-25 Total £ - 246,210 246,210 11,570 - - 11,570 234,640 103 234,640 |
2023-24 Total £ - - - - - - - - 103 103 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted funds £ - - - - - - - - - - |
Unrestricted funds £ - 246,210 246,210 11,570 - - 11,570 234,640 103 234,743 |
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income and expenditure is derived from continuing activities.
The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.
6
City of Nottingham Historic Buildings Limited
Balance sheet as at 31 March 2025
| Current assets Cash at bank and in hand Debtors Current liabilities Deferred income Sundry creditor Net current assets/Net assets Income funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds |
31 March 2025 £ 111,733 123,105 - - 234,838 - 234,838 234,838 |
31 March 2024 £ 199 - - - |
|---|---|---|
| 199 | ||
| - 199 |
||
| 199 |
For the year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the period in question in accordance with section 476.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.
Toby Ebbs Director and chairman Company registration number: 11506989 Date: 10.11. 2025
7
City of Nottingham Historic Buildings Limited
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025
Charity information
City of Nottingham Historic Buildings Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 149 Holme Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 5AG.
Accounting policies
Accounting convention
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102. The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 1 not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest pound.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
Going concern
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Charitable funds
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes. Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The company does not have any restricted funds.
Basis of accounting
Income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be reasonably ascertained.
Costs are recognised on an accruals basis as liabilities are incurred.
8
City of Nottingham Historic Buildings Limited
Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 continued
Income
During the period the charity received a grant of £246,210 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NHLF).
The grant was awarded for the People’s Hall project in Heathcote Street, Nottingham and specifically it was awarded to address two goals: firstly, for the charity to establish itself as a self-sufficient and well-governed Building Preservation Trust; secondly to have successfully operated the Grade II* listed Peoples Hall in Nottingham in a ‘meanwhile use’ state for the two year duration of this project.
In the previous year, the charity was largely dormant, and no income was received.
Payments made to directors/Trustees
The charity made the following payments during the year to the directors named to reimburse them for payments made by them on behalf of the charity:
| 2024-25 £ - 0 |
2023-24 £ - |
|---|---|
| 0 |
Debtors
At the period end the charity had the following outstanding debtors:
| 50% grant pending draw-down from NHLF | 2024-25 £ 123,105 123,105 |
2023-24 £ - |
|---|---|---|
| 0 |
9