## TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 

## Year Ending 31[st] December 2025 

A registered charity (no. 1191064) in England & Wales 

Devon Business & Education Centre, Lower Tale, Payhembury, Honiton, Devon, EX14 3HL Trustees: Mr Christopher Lorimer (appointed 20.08.20), Mrs Sandra Wright (appointed 25.08.20), Miss Jodie Iles (appointed 03.03.22), Miss Lucy Lorimer (appointed 11.04.23), Sue Shelbourne (04.07.24), David Law (04.07.24) 

**Structure Governance and Management** Devon Business & Education Trust (DBET) was formed on the 28[th] August 2020 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) as a response to the COVID pandemic and its impact on rural areas. The Charity has a constitution, dated the 28[th] August 2020, that articulates operational boundaries, the aims and objectives and the responsibilities of the Trustees. The objectives of the CIO remain unchanged and are primarily focused on 1. The relief of unemployment 2. Promoting education and training 3. Supporting people with mental health issues 4. Providing relief to families and their relationships 5. Supporting those who are socially excluded. In 2025 the Trustees met four times (April, June, August and October) with some members engaging online.  Within those meetings there were some key decisions, including: 



- Overseeing financial performance of the Charity, agreeing the accounts, the accountancy arrangements and the formal submission of documents to the Charity Commission 

- Agreeing policies in line with the policy review cycle 

- Approval of fundraising strategy, including a new leaflet that provided opportunities for offering legacies to DBET 

- Approval of new staff supporting the Time Together programme 

- Overseeing the progress of the main programmes of support 

All actions are recorded and agreed, with decisions made by a majority vote. Trustees are made aware of their responsibilities through Charity Commission circulars. 

All potential or actual conflicts of interest were declared. 

## **Financial Review** 

- The Charity received £9,402 in income during the year to 31[st] December 2025, with the majority of this (£8,550) coming in the form of grant income. 

- The income received has enabled £1,010 of grants for tutoring for those who would otherwise have been unable to afford it. £8,641 was spent directly on the Time Together project. No trustee expenses were reimbursed. 

- The charity has no debts and does not hold any funds as a custodian trustee (see statement below). 

- The trust’s reserves policy states its intention to hold £1,200 in reserves at any given time, which would cover 3 month’s worth of ongoing costs. In addition, £400 is to be held in order to cover the costs of closing down the charity if that became necessary. 

- The charity’s finances are reviewed at each meeting of the Trustees. 

## **Funds Held as Custodian Trustee on Behalf of Others** 

The Charity does not act as a custodian trustee. 

## **Public Benefit Statement** 

The Trustees have reviewed the activities of the Charity and are able to confirm that they deliver significant public benefit, complying with the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance. 

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with their duty in the Charities Act 2011 by having referred to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission. 

**Objectives & Activities** 

The Charity’s key objectives are: 

- to support unemployed people or those seeking to achieve self-employment 

- • to provide educational support 



- to promote and provide interventions that assist in improving individuals’ mental health 

- to support people who are socially excluded 

These objectives are set out in detail within the Charity’s constitution. 

## **Achievements & Performance** 

Over 2025, the Charity has achieved a number of key activities: 

- Disbursed £1,010 in educational support to 5 individuals with wide-ranging educational needs (including low confidence and self-esteem, dyslexia, dyscalculia, autism, memory and concentration deficits and limited English). This support has proved life changing for many of the young people receiving support. 

- • Delivered the popular Time Together Programme, which now has a lunch and a tea each month to accommodate increased numbers of in the region of 25 regular attendees.  The programme is looking to continue to expand its activity with support from a new Volunteer and Transport co-ordinator and additional volunteers to provide support to participants between events. The increased demand for support has resulted in part through the partnership with Care With Kindness Limited, a domiciliary care company that co-locates with DBET at Devon Business & Education Centre. 

- The financial position of the Charity continues to be secure through targeted application to relevant charities and the receipt of donations. 




## RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS 

for 

The Year From 1[st] January 2025 to 31[st] December 2025 

Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered No. 1191064 



## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS** 

## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS** 

||**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**|**Total Funds**<br>**31 Dec 2025**|**Total Funds**<br>**31 Dec 2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Receipts**|||||
|Donations|£166|£495|£661|£2,177|
|Grants||£8,550|£8,550|£18,900|
|Gift Aid Claims||||£881|
|Bank Interest|£191||£191|£63|
|Other|||||
|**Total Receipts**|**£357**|**£9,045**|**£9,402**|**£22,021**|
||||||
|**Payments**|||||
|Grant for Tutoring||£1,010|£1,010|£3,165|
|IT and Website Costs|£261||£261|£295|
|Insurance|£146||£146|£146|
|Advertising/Fundraising|||||
|Trustee Expenses|||||
|Sundry||||£38|
|Cost of Beneficiary<br>Event||£5,036|£5,036|£3,915|
|Payment to Project<br>Manager||£3,605|£3,605|£1,785|
|Payment to Interns||||£133|
|PAYE/NI|||||
|Professional Fees|£47||£47||
|**Total Payments**|**£454**|**£9,651**|**£10,105**|**£9,477**|
||||||
|**Net of**<br>**Receipts/(Payments)**|**-£97**|**-£606**|**-£703**|**£12,544**|
||||||
|**Transfers Between**<br>**Funds**|**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**|
||||||
|**Cash Funds Last Year**<br>**End**|**£8,437**|**£9,196**|**£17,633**|**£5,089**|
||||||
|**Cash Funds This Year**<br>**End**|**£8,340**|**£8,590**|**£16,930**|**£17,633**|





## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT THE END OF THE PERIOD** 

||**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**|**Restricted**<br>**Funds**|**Total Funds**<br>**31 Dec 2025**|**Total Funds**<br>**31 Dec 2024**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Cash Funds**|||||
|Bank Account|£8,340|£8,590|£16,930|£17,633|
|**Total Cash Funds**|**£8,340**|**£8,590**|**£16,930**|**£17,633**|
||||||
|**Other Monetary**<br>**Assets**|||||
|**Investment Assets**|||||
|**Assets Retained for**<br>**the Charity’s Own**<br>**Use**|||||
|**Liabilities**|||||
||||||



Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees: 

## **Signature** 


## **Print Name** 

Chris Lorimer, Chair of Trustees 

## **Date of Approval:** 

5th March 2026