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2024-12-31-accounts

Registered Charity Number

1193750

The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO

Trustees Report and Annual Accounts For The Year Ending 31 December 2024

1

The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO – Report and Accounts for year ending 31/12/2024

Table of Contents Page
Reference and Administrative details 1
Introduction 2
Objectives, Activities, Achievements and Performance of the 2
Charity
Looking ahead 5
Structure, governance and management 6
Financial review 6
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others 8
Declaration 8

The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO – Report and Accounts for year ending 31/12/2024

Reference and Administrative details

Registered name of charity

The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO

Also known by working name of charity

Gilly’s

Registered number

1193750

Principal address

Springfield House

76 Wellington Street

Leeds

LS21 2AY

Trustees during the year ending 31[st] December 2024

Alex Stevenson

Judith Stevenson

Simon Glazebrook

Joy Chapman

Independent examiner

Bankers

C. Hoare & Co.

37 Fleet Street

London

EC4P 4DQ

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The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO – Report and Accounts for year ending 31/12/2024

Trustees’ report for the year ended 31 December 2024

Introduction

The trustees present their annual report and accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2024.

The board of trustees are satisfied with the performance of the CIO during its second active year and the position as of 31[st] December 2024. Trustees consider the CIO to be in a good position to continue its activities during the coming year and that the CIO’s assets are adequate to fulfil its obligations.

The board confirms that the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit in deciding on the activities of the CIO.

Objectives, Activities, Achievements and Performance of the Charity

Purpose

The object of the CIO, as set out in the constitution, is to advance such charitable purposes (according to the law of England and Wales) as the trustees see fit from time to time.

As in the previous year, the main activity in relation to this purpose throughout the reporting period was the provision of grants to charities working to improve the lives of children, young people, families and adults who are disadvantaged due to disability, ill-health or circumstance. The trustees consider this the most effective use of the CIO’s resources and believe this has a positive impact by supporting charities already working with these individuals to continue providing and developing their services.

Reflection on 2023 grant making activities

Following the completion of the trust’s first grant cycle, a reflection was published internally by the trustees to explore what worked well and what changes would be implemented for the 2024 grant cycle. In summary:

What worked well

Changes implemented for 2024

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The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO – Report and Accounts for year ending 31/12/2024

Adopting a working name

In April 2024 the trustees made the decision to adopt ‘Gilly’s’ as the working name of The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust with the intention of reflecting the friendly and approachable nature of the trust by using the name our mum was known by within the family as well as it being a ‘snappier’ name for communications and fundraising events. Following acceptance of the addition of this working name by the Charity Commission, the website was also updated and refreshed to include the new branding prior to running the 2024 grant cycle.

Grant making process 2024

Following the reflection process and ensuring funding was in place, the 2024 grant cycle began in August. Between the end of August 2024 and the beginning of October 2024, 134 eligible grant applications were received and considered by the trustees in advance of the final grants panel meeting at the end of October 2024. This was significantly less than the number of applications received during the 2023 grant cycle (261) but an intentional outcome of the trustees refining the eligibility criteria. Although there were fewer applications, these more accurately reflected the type of charity that the trust aims to support – small charities in the earlier stages of their journey with an annual income in the region of £100k or less that stand out as being different in some way in terms of who they support, what they offer or how they delivered it.

With a total of £45,584 held in the account at the time of awarding grants, the trustees were able to select 10 successful applications ranging from £1,962 to £4,000 with a total award amount of £34,378. A further £10,000 was allocated to our focus charity with the intention that this would be transferred either towards the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025 depending on their development timetable and therefore included in our calculations of funds available to be allocated during the grant cycle.

A summary of grants awarded during the 2025 grant cycle:

Organisation Amount Purpose of Funding
Downright Excellent £4,500 Tailored communication sessions for children
and young people with Down Syndrome
Leith Sea Cadets £2,500 Annual running costs for service providing
activities for young people
Quiet Down There £4,000 Community provision of free laundry facilities
to tackle hygiene poverty
Roots For Change UK £1,962 English functional skills classes for migrant
people

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The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO – Report and Accounts for year ending 31/12/2024

Shine A Light Childhood Cancer
Support		 £2,416 Equipment to kit out teenage room and play
therapy area in new premises
The Island £4,000 Annual cost of providing weekly mentoring
sessions for vulnerable children and young
people
The Mitchell Foundation £3,000 Supplying more hospital bereavement
delivery suites with emergency hygiene kits
for parents
Tummies Not Trash £4,000 Kitting out the new food distribution centre
with fridges and freezers
We Are Family £4,000 Running costs of peer support groups for
adoptive families of care- and trauma-
experienced children
Whitby Hidden Impairments
Support and Help		 £4,000 Cost of running weekly teen and tween
groups for young people with hidden
disorders

Exploring the provision of added value support

The offer of added value support is an integral part of how the trust aims to support the work of small charities by providing more than just a grant. Contact was made with each of the charities awarded a grant to informally introduce the trust, discuss the challenges they face and how we might be able to offer support to tackle these. As with the previous round of grants in 2023, this was of more use to some charities than others depending on their stage of development, the effectiveness of support already given by their own board of trustees and willingness to engage.

As 2024 was only our second year of active operation, no pattern has yet emerged that could help identify characteristics of charities that are more likely to benefit from added value support. However, as the trustees consider this an important part of what we do, we will continue to work on identifying predictive characteristics during subsequent grant cycles.

Exploring the potential of engaging external donors

Diversification of income is important for the long-term success of any charity, regardless of their activities or function. The trustees therefore decided to explore using fundraising events to raise additional funds for the 2024 grant cycle and raising the profile of the trust as a route for others to support small charities through donating to our 2024.

Through participating in the Leeds Half Marathon in 2024, an additional £1,408.14 (including Gift Aid) was raised in May and added to the funds available for the 2024 grant cycle.

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The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO – Report and Accounts for year ending 31/12/2024

A new section was also added to our website providing information on different ways to support small charities through the trust.

Evaluating our impact as a small grant maker

As set out in the annual report last year, evaluating impact as a small grant maker is extremely difficult. This continues to be an area of exploration for both the trust and the funding sector more generally. Although no quantitative evaluation is possible, the trustees did collate information from individual charities at the end of the 2023 grant period (Mar 2023 -Mar 2024). In line with the trust’s approach of supporting small charities and listening to feedback about what frustrates them about grant processes in general, charities were given the freedom to ‘report’ in whatever format worked best for them. This resulted in a good selection of qualitative information showing the impact that the individual charities had at an individual level on their users, beneficiaries or clients. The trustees regard our support (provision of grant funding and any other added value support) as a contribution towards enabling each individual charity to be successful in providing impactful services to their beneficiaries, thereby fulfilling the trust’s own charitable purpose.

Looking ahead

The next round of funding is expected to be awarded during Autumn 2025. The process is expected to be similar to that of 2024 but, possibly, with minor changes in response to feedback that will be gathered from current grantees towards the end of the current grant period (Summer 2025) and reflection on the overall experience by trustees.

Development of the trust’s activities in 2025 will focus on:

Whatever way the trustees choose to develop the charitable activities of the CIO, one aspect that will not change is the personal approach to both grant-making and support that has been developed so successfully during the reporting period. For this reason, the trustees anticipate that any future growth in the offering of the CIO is likely to be in terms of the value of the support offered rather than a significant increase in the number of individual charities supported.

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The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO – Report and Accounts for year ending 31/12/2024

Structure, governance and management

Nature of the governing document and constitution of the charity

The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO (also known by the working name Gilly’s) is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and governed by its own constitution.

The trustees have overall control and responsibility for policy and major decision making.

Methods adopted for the recruitment and appointment of new trustees

Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees.

In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustee, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.

The charity trustees will make available a copy of the current version of the constitution and a copy of the CIO’s latest Trustees’ Annual Report and statement of accounts to each new charity trustee, on or before his or her first appointment.

No other person or external body is entitled to appoint one or more of the charity trustees.

Financial Review

Financial position as of 31[st] December 2024

Total funds in current account as of 31[st] December 2024 was £21,589.

Total funds (net of liabilities) as of 31[st] December 2024 was £1,173:

As of 31[st] December 2024, three of the 10 successful charities awarded grants during the 2024 grant cycle had not yet had funds transferred to their accounts. In one case, this was at their request to delay transfer until January 2025 and the start of their new financial year. In the other two instances, there was a delay in the charities returning their signed grant agreement to the trust (due to staff/volunteer sickness or lack of availability at their end) which must be in place before funds are transferred as stated in our grant offer and acceptance documentation distributed to successful applicants. The total of these three grants (£10,416) was recorded in the accounts as a ‘liability’ since there was an expectation on their part and therefore a constructive obligation on our part that the funds would be transferred in the near future.

Similarly, the £10,000 made available by the trust for our focus charity (Windmills) as an additional grant was subject to prior discussions with the charity that this would be transferred once the next

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The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO – Report and Accounts for year ending 31/12/2024

development project was due to start in early 2025 and therefore recorded as a ‘liability’ in the accounts.

The CIO is in a position to continue operating. Grants are only offered when the funds are available to do so; additionally, sources of income (donations) have already been identified for 2025 therefore the trustees have no reason to believe that there will be insufficient funds to run a grant cycle in 2025.

Policies on reserves

The trustees have agreed to maintain general reserves in the region of £5,000 to mitigate against any unforeseen expenses relating to the following risks:

  1. Income risk: the CIO’s annual income is likely to vary from year to year. However, the CIO has no ongoing maintenance or running costs so any variation in income will only impact on the total amount of grants awarded in future grants panel meetings.

  2. Expenditure risk: the only planned expenditure by the CIO is in respect to grant-making. An approximate budget for each of the quarterly grants panel meetings will be set in advance of the start of the CIO’s financial year based on existing and predicted income. However, these budgets will be flexible in response to actual funds available at the time of each grants panel meeting. The CIO will not award grants for which it has insufficient current funds at any given grants panel meeting, nor will the CIO depend on anticipated but unconfirmed income to fund awarded grants. Any unplanned expenditure is likely to be in the form of fines issued for not following legislative requirements. This risk is mitigated by having relevant policies in place that are implemented and reviewed regularly by the board of trustees and by trustees fulfilling their duty to maintain a current knowledge of all legislative requirements.

  3. General operating environment: the potential external risks/developments/changes that could impact the CIO’s operating position, such as changes in legislation relating to the running of charitable organisations or local/national/international environmental or financial events resulting in extraordinary circumstances and need by charitable organisations. Some risks, such as legislative changes, are likely to be announced in advance and can therefore be planned for by maintaining an awareness of public communications made by the relevant bodies. Unexpected events, by their very nature, cannot be planned for therefore the CIO would wish to maintain some level of reserve funds which could be used to respond to situations of unprecedented need over and above the normal grant-making process.

  4. Cost of closure: should an event or events occur which cause the trustees to decide to close the CIO, how closure would be managed and funded. As the CIO has no employees or assets to maintain, the impact of closure would be minimal. Grants are paid in full at the time of award.

Level of reserves

The actual level of reserves held as of 31[st] December 2024 was £1,173. This is slightly below the agreed level of £5,000 although sufficient to support the minimal ongoing administration costs and poses no risk for the future operation of the trust due to income already identified for 2025.

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The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO – Report and Accounts for year ending 31/12/2024

Statutory Statement on Liabilities

The Trustees declare that:

The charity has given no guarantees where potential liability under the guarantee is outstanding at the date of this statement.

The charity has no debt outstanding at the date of this statement which is owed by the CIO and which is secured by an express charge on any assets of the CIO.

Statement on remuneration

No remuneration was paid to any trustee or any person connected with a trustee.

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

The trustees confirm that no funds are held by the CIO as custodian trustees on behalf of others.

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature

Full name Joy Chapman Date 18/08/2025

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The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO 1193750 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period 1/1/2024 12/31/2024 To from

Section A Receipts and payments

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts
Donations and Gift Aid
26,408
Interest on Bank Account
258
-
-
-
-
-
-
26,666
-
-
Sub total -
Total receipts 26,666
A3 Payments
216
Grants paid (See listing in annual report)
23,962
Bank charges
364
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sub total 24,542
-
-
Sub total -
Total payments 24,542
Net of receipts/(payments) 2,124
A5 Transfers between funds
-
A6 Cash funds last year end
19,465
Cash funds this year end 21,589
Unrestricted
funds
to the nearest £
Sub total(Gross income for AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
Cost of fundraising events and processing
fees
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)		 to the nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Restricted
funds		 to the nearest £
Endowment
funds		 Total funds
to the nearest £
26,408
258
-
-
-
-
-
-
26,666
-
-
-
26,666
216
23,962
364
-
-
-
-
-
-
24,542
-
-
-
24,542
2,124
-
19,465
21,589		 Last year
to the nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 26,408 75,000
258 260
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
26,666 75,260
-
-
-		 -
- -
- -
- 26,666 75,260
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 216 -
23,962 55,428
364 367
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
24,542 55,795
-
-
-		 -
-
- -
- 24,542 55,795
- -
-
-
-		 2,124 19,465
- - -
- 19,465 -
- 21,589 19,465

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets
B3 Investment assets
B5 Liabilities
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees		 Details
General Fund
Details
Details
Details
Details
Signature
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Grants assigned but not yet transferred
(See annual report for details)		 to nearest £
to nearest £
21,589
-
-
-
-
21,589
-
OK
OK
to nearest £
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
General Fund
20,416
-
-
-
-
Print Name
JoyChapman
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Fund to which
asset belongs
Fund to which
asset belongs
Fund to which
liability relates
Amount due
(optional)		 to nearest £
Endowment
funds
-
-
-
-
OK
to nearest £
Endowment
funds
-
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
When due
(optional)
Early 2025
Date of
approval
JoyChapman 18/08/2025

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of The Gillian Stevenson Charitable Trust CIO (the ‘CIO’)

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the CIO for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of the report

As the charity trustees of the CIO, 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 CIO’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act. In carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records.

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.

Signed:

Name: John Charles Feaster

Address: C/O Church Bank House, Church Bank, Bradford, BD1 4DY Date: 22/09/2025