Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 06/04/2024 Period start date to 07/04/2025 Period end date
Charity name: The David Ellis Charity
Charity registration number: 1192363
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | Further such charitable purposes as are exclusively charitable according to the laws of England and Wales for the benefit of veterans living in, or visiting Dorset, as the trustees may from time to time determine, in particular but not exclusively by providing support and funding to other organisations furthering such purposes. For the objects clause, ‘veterans’ are defined as anyone who has served for at least one day in His Majesty’s armed forces (regular or reserve) or merchant mariners who have seen duty on legally defined operations, and is a ‘service leaver’, as defined by His Majesty’s government. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
1. The prevention or relief of poverty, by providing grants, items or services for veterans in need who are living in Dorset. 2. The advancement of health and the saving of lives, by providing financial and well-being advice, counselling, and social, recreational, and leisure-time facilities in a social environment, to encourage self-help and peer-to-peer support among veterans who live in, or are visiting, Dorset. 3. The relief of veterans in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage by providing advice, counselling, grants and provision of items to encourage self-dependency in partnership with veterans who live in Dorset. 4. The provision of facilities for recreation and leisure-time occupation in the interests of social welfare with the intention of improving the condition of life, by providing a fulfilling, calming and safe environment, where peer-to-peer support and self- dependency is encouraged by and for veterans living in, or visiting Dorset. |
| 5. The social relief, resettlement and rehabilitation of veterans under a disability or deprivation by providing counselling, advice, and a fulfilling, calming, and A safe environment, where peer-to-peer support and self-reliance are encouraged, for veterans living in Dorset. 6. The promotion of mental health improvement of veterans by providing counselling, advice, and a fulfilling, calming and safe environment, where peer-to-peer support and self-dependency are encouraged for veterans living in, or visiting Dorset. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | All trustees have regard to the Charity Commission's public benefit and have complied with the guidance when exercising powers or duties as under the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | The David Ellis Charity awards grants to support the well-being, development, and resilience of the Armed Forces community. Funding is available for individuals and organisations whose needs and projects align with the charity’s mission. This includes support for well-being, education and training, community engagement, and hardship relief. All applications are assessed fairly and transparently based on criteria such as evidence of need, impact, value for money, and alignment with the charity's objectives. Grants must be used solely for their approved purposes, and monitoring and evaluation are required to ensure accountability and positive outcomes. |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | N/A |
| Contribution made by volunteers |
Para 1.38 | 1. Between March 2024 and March 2025, volunteers made an extraordinary contribution to The David Ellis Charity, strengthening every aspect of its work and expanding the support available to the Armed Forces community. Throughout the year, volunteer fitness instructors delivered free weekly classes that helped veterans, serving personnel, and families improve their physical and mental well-being. These sessions became a consistent and valued part of the charity’s wellbeing offer, providing |
| accessible support to those who benefit most from structured activity and community connection. 2. More than twenty volunteers dedicated their time to major sporting and community events across Dorset. Their involvement was central to the smooth running of the athletes’ village at the Ironmnan Weymouth 70.3 event, where they provided logistical support, welfare assistance, and a welcoming presence for participants, receiving a donation of £300 for the charity. Volunteers also played a vital role in the Weymouth Half Marathon receiving a £200 donation, the Bustinskin triathlon series and the Dorset Strongman competition, contributing to marshalling, safety, athlete support, and event setup. Their presence ensured that each event operated safely and professionally, while also raising the charity’s profile within the wider community. 3. Beyond these flagship events, volunteers supported a wide range of additional activities, including local wellbeing walks, community gatherings, and charity‑led social and training initiatives. They assisted with operational tasks, event coordination, and participant engagement, helping the charity deliver high‑quality support and outreach throughout the year. 4. Collectively, volunteers contributed hundreds of hours of service, demonstrating exceptional commitment and significantly increasing the charity’s capacity to serve the Armed Forces community. Their dedication not only enabled the charity to deliver more activities and events but also strengthened its reputation as a trusted, community‑driven organisation. The impact of their work between March 2024 and March 2025 has been profound, and the charity’s achievements during this period would not have been possible without their generosity, energy, and unwavering support. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Other | 1. The David Ellis Charity’s volunteers successfully completed an accredited archery instructors’ course, enabling the charity to introduce archery as a brand‑new free activity for its community programme. This new offer expands the charity’s commitment to providing accessible, engaging opportunities for veterans, serving personnel, and their families. 2.The charity launched a weekly two‑hour veterans’ drop‑in session for the Dorset veteran community, offering free tea, coffee, and awelcoming spaceforpeer‑to‑peer |
support. The session provides a relaxed environment where local veterans and their families can connect, share experiences, and access informal wellbeing support. 3. The David Ellis Charity delivered a schools ‑ enrichment session at Dorchester Middle School, where its volunteers led a tailored Pilates class for pupils. The activity introduced young people to the charity’s wellbeing work while promoting the wider support it offers to children from the Armed Forces community. The session provided a fun, engaging way for students to experience the charity’s approach to physical activity and community connection. 4. Volunteers from The David Ellis Charity supported a community fundraiser to help repair the roof at the Portland Islanders Youth and Community Centre by running an outdoor fitness activity stand for local families. Their presence added energy, ‑ engagement, and a fun physical activity element to the event, attracting more visitors and encouraging donations. By contributing their time and skills, the volunteers helped boost the fundraiser’s overall impact and strengthened collaboration between local charities working to support the community.
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | The David Ellis Charity has established itself as a highly active and community‑centred organisation dedicated to improving the lives of military veterans, serving personnel, and their families across Dorset. Its achievements reflect a consistent commitment to health, well-being, social inclusion, and practical support for the Armed Forces community. 1. A major achievement of the charity is its extensive programme of free recreational, leisure, and wellbeing activities, which directly advance health and improve quality of life for beneficiaries. The charity delivers regular exercise classes, wellbeing sessions, and social activities across multiple community venues in Dorset, providing safe, supportive environments where veterans and families can build resilience, reduce isolation, and strengthen peer‑to‑peer connections. This work aligns with the charity’s core purpose of advancing health and improving lives through recreation, social welfare, education, and training. |
‑ The charity’s long running health and wellbeing programme has expanded over time, with classes delivered at locations at Dorchester Rugby Club, The Prince of Wales School, Redlands Leisure & Community Park, and Osprey Leisure Centre. These activities have supported not only veterans but also NHS and care staff, widening the charity’s reach and reducing barriers to participation during a period of rising living costs. 2. The charity also strengthened its formal commitment to the Armed Forces community by signing the Armed Forces Covenant on 21 August 2024, confirming its pledge to support serving personnel, veterans, reservists, and military families. This public commitment reinforced the charity’s values and its role as an Armed Forces ‑ friendly organisation. 3. Between April 2024 and April 2025, The David Ellis Charity reached an important milestone in its mission to support the Armed Forces community. For the first time, the charity was able to award a direct financial grant to assist a seriously ill veteran who was struggling to pay rent and facing the very real risk of homelessness. This support was made possible because the charity had strengthened its governance, built a stable financial base, and formalised ‑ its grant making policy. These developments meant the trustees were able to respond quickly and responsibly when the veteran’s situation was brought to their attention. The grant provided immediate relief at a critical moment, preventing the veteran from losing their home while they were managing significant health challenges. The charity not only protected the veteran’s housing stability but also helped reduce the wider social and health impacts that homelessness would have caused. This first grant marks a meaningful evolution in the charity’s work: moving beyond wellbeing activities alone and into direct welfare support for vulnerable veterans. It sets a precedent for future assistance and reinforces the charity’s role as a trusted, responsive source of help for those who have served. 4. The David Ellis Charity delivered its first formal training programme supporting veterans, serving armed forces and families ‑ to gain recognised qualifications. A two day Outdoor First Aid training course for veterans, military spouses, and a cadet instructor, gave participants nationally
recognised skills for use in real ‑ world emergencies. The programme strengthened confidence, employability, and community resilience by equipping attendees with ‑ practical, life saving knowledge they can use in both volunteer roles and everyday situations. This investment in training directly supports the Armed Forces community by building capability, enhancing wellbeing, and empowering individuals to play an active role in keeping others safe. 5.Volunteers from The David Ellis Charity delivered the first Mini ‑ Medics enrichment club at The Prince of Wales School, giving primary school pupils a hands ‑ on introduction to essential first ‑ aid skills. The after ‑ school sessions showcased the charity’s commitment to supporting young people with practical life skills while helping pupils understand how the charity serves the wider community.
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | 1.Strengthening Health, Wellbeing, and Social Support for the Armed Forces Community Deliver a wide range of free weekly fitness and wellbeing classes. Introduce a weekly two‑hour Veterans’ Drop‑In to further enhance support by offering free refreshments and a safe, informal space for peer‑to‑peer engagement and early‑intervention wellbeing assistance. 2. Expanding the Charity’s Activity Offer Through Volunteer Training and Skills Development Volunteers complete accredited CPD and instructor training, enabling the charity to launch new free activities for beneficiaries. Deliver a formal training programme with nationally recognised qualifications equipping veterans, spouses, and serving armed forces with skills that enhance confidence, employability, and community resilience. 3. Enhancing Community Engagement and Youth Development. Strengthen the charity’s outreach by delivering enrichment activities in local schools that introduce pupils to wellbeing, and the charity’s wider mission. 4. Supporting Local Events and Strengthening Civic Participation. Support to community events across Dorset to raise the charity’s profile, and expand the charity’s community presence. |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Contributing to Wider Community Benefit and Cross‑Charity Collaboration Strengthen local partnerships by supporting fundraisers that increase public engagement and help boost charity donations. 6. Advancing the Charity’s Governance, Values, and Strategic Commitments Reinforce the charity’s commitment to the Armed Forces community by signing the Armed Forces Covenant. Honour the charity’s Covenant pledge by helping veterans experiencing financial hardship. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | The charity’s fundraising activities performed strongly against the objectives set for the year, with volunteers playing a central role in securing income, increasing visibility, and strengthening community partnerships. Through participation in local events, fundraising activities, including Ironman Weymouth 70.3 the Weymouth Half Marathon, and the Islanders Community Centre fundraiser, volunteers helped generate £1500 in donations while providing essential operational support that reinforced the charity’s reputation for professionalism and community service. Fundraising activities successfully aligned with the charity’s aim to diversify income sources through community engagement rather than traditional fundraising campaigns. By embedding fundraising within service‑driven volunteering, the charity strengthened relationships with event organisers, increased public recognition, and demonstrated value to partner organisations. Volunteers also supported the delivery of key charitable objectives, enabling the charity to provide training courses such as First Aid qualifications for veterans, spouses, and local cadet instructors. These activities expanded the charity’s programme of free wellbeing and recreational opportunities, directly benefiting the Armed Forces community. Volunteers helped sustain enrichment activities in local schools, including Pilates sessions and Mini‑Medics first‑aid clubs, strengthening youth engagement and life‑skills education for Armed Forces children. Crucially, the charity’s strengthened financial position, supported in part by community‑based fundraising, enabled trustees to award the organisation’s first direct welfare grant to a seriously ill veteran at risk of homelessness. This intervention demonstrated the charity’s growing capability to provide urgent, life‑changing support alongside its wellbeing programmes. |
| Overall, the charity’s activities met their objectives by generating income, deepening community ties, and enabling the charity to deliver meaningful, practical support to beneficiaries throughout the year. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | The charity’s investment performance met its objectives by maintaining a stable financial position that supported the delivery of core services and enabled responsible growth in charitable activity. Although the charity does not operate a complex investment portfolio, it continued to manage its reserves prudently, ensuring that funds were held securely and used in line with its low‑risk investment approach. This careful stewardship allowed the charity to sustain free wellbeing activities, deliver training programmes, and respond to urgent welfare needs, including awarding a grant to prevent a seriously ill veteran from becoming homeless. Overall, the charity’s financial management ensured that resources were protected, expenditure remained aligned with charitable purposes, and the organisation was able to expand its impact without compromising financial stability. |
| Other | N/A |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | Funds in the bank as of 06/04/2025 was £3812 in unrestricted funds. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | For this financial year, maintaining reserves equivalent to six months of operating costs is considered essential. This level of reserve ensures the charity can meet its regular financial commitments and provide immediate assistance to veterans in line with its core activities, including the ongoing funding of weekly fitness classes and other support services. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £2000 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | N/A |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | Given the strong cash position of the charity, it is perceived with confidence that it will exist for the foreseeable future. |
Additional information (optional)
| Additional information (optional) | Additional information (optional) | Additional information (optional) |
|---|---|---|
| You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: | ||
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | The principal financial risk to the charity is the potential reduction in grant funding and donated income. To mitigate this, the charity maintains reserves sufficient to cover core operational costs in the event of an income shortfall, as well as to meet any unforeseen or emergency expenditure that may arise. |
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | N/A |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | Given the charity’s current cash position and stable financial management, the trustees are satisfied that there is no material uncertainty regarding the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. |
| Other | N/A |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation whose only voting members are its charity trustees. |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g., unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | CIO - FOUNDATION Registered 17 Nov 2020 as amended on 05 Feb 2021 |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Appointment of charity trustees: Every trustee must be appointed for up to a maximum term of five years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. |
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
|---|---|---|
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | The charity trustees will ensure that every newly appointed trustee receives, on or before taking up their role: • A copy of the current version of the charity’s constitution. • A copy of the CIO’s most recent Trustees’ Annual Report and Statement of Accounts. • A copy of the Trustees’ Management Guidance, including the Equality, Diversity and Respect Policy, the Grant‑Making Policy, and the Trustees’ Code of Conduct. • Copies of previous meeting minutes and any other relevant governance documents necessary to support effective induction |
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | N/A |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | N/A |
| Other | N/A |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | The David Ellis Charity |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | n/a |
| Registered charity number | 1192363 |
| Charity’s principal address | 13 Earl Close Dorchester Dorset DT11DY |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee(if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Harper | Chair | 12/09/19 | ||
| RayStent | Secretary | 19/09/19 | ||
| Mark Bradbury | Trustee | 05/12/24 | ||
| Natalie Newton | Trustee | 20/10/22 | ||
| Jeanette Croft | Trustee | 16/02/23 |
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
| Description of the assets held in this capacity |
N/A |
|---|---|
| Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects |
N/A |
| Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets |
N/A |
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) | Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) | Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of adviser Name Address |
||
| Bank | NatWest | 135 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3UR |
| Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) | ||
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
N/A
Other optional information
N/A
Declarations The trustees declare that they have approved the tru5tee< report above Signed on behalf of the charitvs trustees Slgnaturelsl rf/7 Full name{sl NICHOLAS HARPER MARK BRADBURY Posltlon leg. Secretary, Chair, etcl CHAIR OFTRUSTEES TRUSTEE Date 26-01-2026
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR INGIAND AND WALES THE DAVID ELUS CHARITY Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For thg p•rlod fro To 071fJ412D24 1fi10412025 Section A Receipts and payments Unr•strict•d funds Rèstrictod funds Endowm&nt lunds Tolal funds Last y4ar to th• n•nrvut to th Mrml£ th nernt£ toth? toth• n•ar?llt £ A1 Rac•lpts FutKIrsIg Gran15 1.67• ub lotal( ross income or ARJ 3.17• 3.179 S•ta Is•a tabkl. mon Total recelpts 3.179 JPa •nts Expenses HBII HI Grant5 707 3.791 1.000 T07 J.797 Sub lotal 5.504 S.gJ4 A4 A888t and Inv•8tm•nt urchases s•• table Sub total Net of rocelptsl(payments) A5 Tran8f•r8 botwoon funds A6 Cash funds last y•ar and Cash funds thls year end 2.32 2.325
| Mark Bradbury 26-01-2026 26-01-2026 Nicholas Harper |
|
|---|---|