
## **Trustees’ annual report (including Directors’ report) for the period** 

## **From: 01 July 2024 Charity name: Orinoco – The Oxfordshire Scrapstore Charity registration number: 1195735** 

**To: 30th June 2025** 

## **Company number:** 

## **Objectives and activities** 

||||
|---|---|---|
||SORP<br>reference||
|Summary of the purposes<br>of the charity as set out in<br>its governing document|Para 1.17|Our objectives are:<br>(1) to protect and preserve the environment for public<br>benefit, particularly, but not exclusively by:<br>(a) promoting recycling, use of recycled products and<br>the use of surplus or scrap; and by<br>(b) advancing the education of the public about waste<br>recycling and use of surplus or scrap.<br>(2) to advance arts and crafts, particularly, but not<br>exclusively by:<br>(a) facilitating the use and provision of recycled, scrap<br>or surplus materials as a creative resource to adults and<br>children with the aim of improving their social welfare<br>and conditions of life; and mental health and wellbeing;<br>and by<br>(b) inspiring individual and group creativity for the<br>public benefit and for the benefit of the environment.|
|Summary of the main<br>activities in relation to<br>those purposes for the<br>public benefit, in particular,<br>the activities, projects or<br>services identified in the<br>accounts.|Para 1.17 and<br>1.19|Our principal activities are:<br>• running two ‘scrapstores’ in Templars Square<br>Oxford and Banbury, where unwanted items are<br>sold at affordable prices to facilitate artistic<br>endeavour and creative play,<br>• selling donated scrap items for art, craft, play and<br>creative projects, as well as new art materials,<br>vintage items, refurbished tools and DIY<br>equipment,<br>• running workshops, craft lessons, parties and<br>events, and<br>• repairing and testing useable small electrical<br>equipment, giving new life to household items.|
|Statement confirming<br>whether the trustees have<br>had regard to the<br>guidance issued by the<br>Charity Commission on<br>public benefit|Para 1.18|The Trustees have paid due regard to the Charity<br>Commission’s guidance on public benefit and confirm that<br>Orinoco exists and operates exclusively for charitable<br>purposes to benefit the public|





## **Additional information (optional)** 

||||
|---|---|---|
|You may choose to include<br>further statements where<br>relevant about:|SORP<br>reference||
|Policy on grantmaking|Para 1.38|Orinoco does not make grants.|
|Policy on social investment<br>including program related<br>investment|Para 1.38|N/A|
|Contribution made by<br>volunteers|Para 1.38|Volunteers remain vital to Orinoco’s work and<br>are drawn from every walk of life. They<br>contribute by sorting and organizing donated<br>stock, engaging with customers and<br>supporting craft workshops and events.<br>Volunteers’ talents and skills are also used to<br>repair and recycle discarded items, from<br>making bunting commissions for weddings to<br>reviving garden tools.  During the financial<br>year 2024-25, the charity benefited from<br>9,710 hours of volunteers’ work, equivalent to<br>1,387 day’s work (7 hrs per day).|
|Other|||



## **Achievements and performance** 

|Summary of the main<br>achievements of the<br>charity, identifying the<br>difference the charity’s<br>work has made to the<br>circumstances of its<br>beneficiaries and any<br>wider benefits to society<br>as a whole.|Summary of the main<br>achievements of the<br>charity, identifying the<br>difference the charity’s<br>work has made to the<br>circumstances of its<br>beneficiaries and any<br>wider benefits to society<br>as a whole.|||
|---|---|---|---|
||Summary of the main<br>achievements of the<br>charity, identifying the<br>difference the charity’s<br>work has made to the<br>circumstances of its<br>beneficiaries and any<br>wider benefits to society<br>as a whole.|Para 1.20|Over 25 tonnes (25,693kg) of redundant re-<br>useable materials were diverted from landfill back<br>into re-use for the benefit of the local community<br>and to protect the environment.  This represents<br>a 14% increase on the previous year.<br>Orinoco Banbury continued to engage in<br>community activities, offering play and<br>crafting opportunities at external events, as<br>well as providing a wide range of in-store<br>activities, including regular support to home-<br>schooled children.  Staff and volunteers also<br>created children's art packs to pass to local<br>food banks for distribution.<br>Orinoco Oxford took part in the annual Green<br>Fair at Oxford City Hall, and continued to raise<br>awareness of recycling, re-use and reduce.|





## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: 

||||
|---|---|---|
|Achievements<br>against objectives<br>set|Para 1.41|The charity addressed some historic Board<br>recruitment challenges, with three new Trustees<br>joining in April 2025.  This has brought a<br>renewed focus on governance; a new meeting<br>cycle was devised to improve oversight and<br>decision-making, with appointments made to<br>the roles of Chair, Treasurer and Secretary to<br>focus specifically on leadership, financial<br>operations and administrative tasks respectively.<br>A major project was also launched to strengthen<br>and refresh core policies, particularly those<br>related to regulatory compliance.|
|Performance of<br>fundraising activities<br>against objectives set|Para 1.41|Both Oxford and Banbury stores continued to<br>inspect, test and repair unwanted electrical<br>items, offering them for re-sale at affordable<br>prices.  Income from this WEEE Project (Waste<br>from Electrical & Electronic Equipment) has<br>been particularly important at the Oxford<br>store, accounting for nearly a quarter of gross<br>till income.  The Banbury store continued to<br>consolidate its local reputation as a creative<br>hub, with a strong out-turn in fabric, wool,<br>haberdashery, art & craft material sales<br>(together representing 60% of gross sales).<br>The Banbury store café, ‘Coffee Corner’, ran<br>successfully throughout the year, drawing in<br>customers and providing space for events and<br>meetings.|
|Investment<br>performance against<br>objectives|Para 1.41|N/A|
|Other|||





## **Financial review** 

|**Financial review**|||
|---|---|---|
||||
|Review of the charity’s<br>financial position at the<br>end of the period|Para 1.21|Orinoco reduced its operating deficit to -£3,503<br>in 2024-25 (from -£10,320 in 2023-24).  The<br>improvement was partly due to an 8% increase<br>in overall shop sales and partly to vigilant cost<br>control in other areas.  As for many charity and<br>other retailers, Orinoco faced increased<br>expenditure in staffing costs, utilities and<br>insurance but, thanks to careful stewardship in<br>previous years, there are sufficient reserves to<br>meet the deficit.|
|Statement explaining the<br>policy for holding reserves<br>stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The Trustees believe Orinoco should hold<br>sufficient financial reserves to facilitate<br>winding down of the charity’s operations in<br>the event of ceasing to operate on a<br>permanent basis.<br>To achieve this, Orinoco’s reserves policy is to<br>hold unrestricted funds equivalent to three<br>months’ operating costs.  Sums have also been<br>earmarked to fulfil statutory and lease<br>obligations.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|Trustees have set a level equivalent to three<br>months operating costs as a contingency, to<br>protect future operation from the effects of<br>any unforeseen variations in income and<br>expenditure.  Designated reserves have also<br>been set aside to fulfil commitments in relation<br>to staff notice and redundancy costs, as well as<br>leasehold obligations.  Total actual reserves<br>held are £35,000.|
|Reasons for holding zero<br>reserves|Para 1.22|N/A|
|Details of fund materially in<br>deficit|Para 1.24|No funds are materially in deficit.|
|Explanation of any<br>uncertainties about the<br>charity continuing as a<br>going concern|Para 1.23|Trustees are keenly aware of the need to plan<br>for future sustainability and development.<br>Work is underway to improve internal<br>financial controls and oversight and, once the<br>major policy review project is complete, it will<br>be possible to undertake a thorough business<br>review to examine viability and options for<br>increasing revenue streams, including<br>fundraising from external source.|





## **Additional information (optional)** 

## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: 

||||
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s principal<br>sources of funds (including<br>any fundraising)|Para 1.47|The charity’s main source of income is sales<br>revenue from the two scrapstores.|
|Investment policy and<br>objectives including any<br>social investment policy<br>adopted|Para 1.46|N/A|
|A description of the<br>principal risks facing the<br>charity|Para 1.46|The renewed focus on governance, paying<br>particular attention to regulation and<br>compliance, will involve increased reliance on<br>free reserves.<br>The ongoing cost of living crisis continues to<br>impact on costs, salaries and other essential<br>expenditure, as well as on customers needing<br>to prioritise their spending choices.  This puts<br>pressure on the staff and volunteers, who<br>nevertheless all continue to meet the many<br>day-to-day challenges.|
|Other|||



## **Structure, governance, and management** 

||||
|---|---|---|
|Description of<br>charity’s trusts:|||
|Type of governing<br>document: for example,<br>trust deed, memorandum<br>and articles of<br>association etc|Para 1.25|Constitution|
|How is the charity<br>constituted?<br>for example, limited<br>company, unincorporated<br>association,<br>CIO|Para 1.25|CIO|
|Trustee selection methods<br>including details of any<br>constitutional provisions<br>e.g. election to post or<br>name of any person or<br>body entitled<br>to appoint one or more<br>trustees|Para 1.25|Individuals with relevant skills and expertise<br>are invited to apply to join the Board.|





## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: 

||||
|---|---|---|
|Policies and procedures<br>adopted for the induction<br>and training of trustees|Para 1.51|New Trustees are supplied with the Annual<br>Report & Accounts, meeting minutes and CC3,<br>The Essential Trustee: What You Need to Know.|
|The charity’s organisational<br>structure and any wider<br>network with which the<br>charity works|Para 1.51|Orinoco is managed by the Board of Trustees.<br>Towards the end of 2024-25, the Board agreed<br>to meet on a bi-monthly basis, and set up a<br>monthly sub-group, comprising Trustees and<br>managers from both stores, to begin the policy<br>review project.<br>Orinoco also maintains links with District, City<br>and County councils in Oxfordshire.|
|Relationship with any<br>related parties|Para 1.51|None|
|Other||Orinoco The Oxfordshire Scrapstore was<br>founded and registered as an unincorporated<br>charity in 1994.   It changed its status in 2021<br>when it applied to the Charity Commission to<br>become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.<br>This was granted in September 2021 and the<br>new CIO launched later that year, with the<br>Oxford store re-locating to shopping centre<br>premises in Cowley and the Banbury store<br>opening as a new venture.|





## **Reference and administrative details** 

|Charity name|Orinoco - The Oxfordshire Scrapstore|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses|ORINOCO|
|Registered charity number|1195735|
|Charity’s principal address|77 Harefields, Oxford OX2 8NR|



## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** 

||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**<br>**to appoint trustee (if any)**|
|1|Marlen I Llanes|Treasurer|Appointed Treasurer, 1 May 2025|----------|
|2|Zohra Jenkinson|Co-Chair|Appointed Co-Chair, 1 May 2025|----------|
|3|Victor Lal|||----------|
|4|Charlotte Sutton|Co-Chair|Appointed as Trustee, 10 April 2025,<br>appointed Co-Chair 1 May 2025|----------|
|5|Sue Ellis|Secretary|Appointed as Trustee, 10 April 2025,<br>appointed Secretary 1 May 2025|----------|
|6|Anne Tweddle||Appointed as Trustee, 10 April 2025|----------|



Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved 

**Director name** N/A 

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity 

|Name of trustees holding title to|property belonging to the charity|
|---|---|
|**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for wholeyear**|
|N/A||
|||



## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** 

|Description of the assets held in this<br>capacity|N/A|
|---|---|
|Name and objects of the charity on<br>whose behalf the assets are held and<br>how this falls within the custodian<br>charity’s objects|N/A|
|Details of arrangements for safe<br>custody and segregation of such<br>assets from the charity’s own assets|N/A|





## **Additional information (optional)** 

## **Names and addresses of advisers (optional information)** 

||||
|---|---|---|
|**Type of Adviser**|**Name**|**Address**|
|Accountant: Accounting<br>and bookkeeping services<br>for the not-for-profit<br>sector|Sheila Parry|SPX Oxford Ltd, Peace House, 19 Paradise Street,<br>Oxford, OX1 1LD|



## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (optional information)** 

## **Exemptions from disclosure** 

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details 

## **Other optional information** 

## **Declarations** 

**The company has taken advantage of the small companies’ exemption in preparing the report above. The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report (including directors’ report) above. Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees/directors** 

|Charlotte Sutton<br>Marlen Llanes<br>Marlen Ivette Llanes<br>Treasurer<br>Charlotte Louise Sutton<br>Chair<br>26 Feb 2026<br>26 Feb 2026<br>**Signature(s)**<br>**Full name(s**<br>**Position (for example Secretary,**<br>**Chair, etc**|Marlen Llanes|Charlotte Sutton|
|---|---|---|






## **Charity Name No (if any) THE OXFORDSHIRE SCRAPSTORE 1195735 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a** 

**For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 01/07/2024 30/06/2025 

## **Section A Receipts and payments** 

|**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**<br>**funds**<br>**to the nearest**<br>**£**<br>**160,440**<br>**-**<br>**1,560**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**379**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**162,378**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**162,378**<br>**1,762**<br>**-**<br>**66**<br>**1,349**<br>**9**<br>**2,251**<br>**363**<br>**-**<br>**33,000**<br>**113,322**<br>**21**<br>**996**<br>**5,097**<br>**4,624**<br>**632**<br>**48**<br>**194**<br>**-**<br>**1,646**<br>**355**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**165,735**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**165,735**<br>**3,357**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**77,642**<br>**74,285**|**Restricted**<br>**funds**<br>**to the nearest £**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**146**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**146**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**146**<br>**146**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**11,641**<br>**11,495**|**Endowment**<br>**funds**<br>**to the nearest £**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**|**Total funds**<br>**to the nearest £**<br>**160,440**<br>**-**<br>**1,560**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**379**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**162,378**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**|**Total funds**<br>**to the nearest £**<br>**160,440**<br>**-**<br>**1,560**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**379**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**162,378**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**|**Last year**<br>**to the nearest £**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Sales|**160,440**|||||**148,624**|
|Donations|**-**|||||**-**|
|Events|**1,560**|||||**610**|
|Transfer fromprevious charity|**-**|||||**-**|
|Grants|**-**|||||**-**|
|Interest|**379**|||||**355**|
|Other|**-**|||||**1**|
||**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_<br>_AR)_|**162,378**|||||**149,590**|
||||||||
|**A2 Asset and investment sales,**<br>**(see table).**|||||||
|**Restrictedgrant**|**-**||||||
||**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Sub total_**|**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Total receipts_**<br>**A3 Payments**|||||||
|||||**162,378**||**149,590**|
|||||**1,762**<br>**146**<br>**66**<br>**1,349**<br>**9**<br>**2,251**<br>**363**<br>**-**<br>**33,000**<br>**113,322**<br>**21**<br>**996**<br>**5,097**<br>**4,624**<br>**632**<br>**48**<br>**194**<br>**-**<br>**1,646**<br>**355**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**165,881**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**165,881**<br>**3,503**<br>**-**|||
|Administration|**1,762**|||||**1,588**|
|Grant expenditure|**-**|||||**1,247**|
|Van Expenses|**66**|||||**516**|
|Van Insurance|**1,349**|||||**499**|
|Event|**9**|||||**31**|
|Buildingand LiabilityInsurance|**2,251**|||||**1,433**|
|Phone|**363**|||||**309**|
|Van Diesel|**-**|||||**-**|
|Rent|**33,000**|||||**29,000**|
|Staff Salary|**113,322**|||||**107,648**|
|Transportation for volunteer|**21**|||||**10**|
|Volunteer subsistence|**996**|||||**931**|
|Business Rates|**5,097**|||||**4,389**|
|Utilities|**4,624**|||||**5,865**|
|Café expenses|**632**|||||**1,497**|
|Outreach expenses|**48**|||||**48**|
|Staff travel and subsistence|**194**|||||**331**|
|Small equipment|**-**|||||**2,974**|
|Payroll / accountingfees|**1,646**|||||**1,135**|
|Purchases|**355**|||||**-**|
|Raisingfunds|**-**|||||**66**|
|Trustee expenses|**-**|||||**390**|
|**_Sub total_**|**165,735**|||||**159,910**|
||||||||
|**A4 Asset and investment**<br>**purchases, (see table)**|||||||
||**-**||||||
||**-**||||||
|**_Sub total_**|**-**|||||**-**|
|**_Total payments_**<br>**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**<br>**A5 Transfers between funds**<br>**A6 Cash funds last year end**<br>**_Cash funds this year end_**|||||||
|||||||**159,910**|
||||||||
||**3,357**<br>**-**|**146**<br>**-**|**-**|**3,503**<br>**-**||**10,320**<br>**-**|
||**-**|**-**|**-**|**-**||**-**|
||**77,642**|**11,641**|**-**|**89,283**||**99,603**|
||**74,285**|**11,495**|**-**|**85,780**||**89,283**|



CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 

22/01/2026 

1 



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

|**Categories**<br>Signed by one or two trustees on<br>behalf of all the trustees<br>**B5 Liabilities**<br>**B3 Investment assets**<br>**B2 Other monetary assets**<br>**B4 Assets retained for the**<br>**charity’s own use**<br>**B1 Cash funds**|**Details**<br>**Details**<br>**Details**<br>**Details**<br>**_Total cash funds_**<br>(agree balances with receipts and payments<br>account(s))<br>**Details**<br>Savings Account<br>Business Account<br>Co-op account<br>Signature<br>Charlotte Sutton<br>Marlen Llanes|**Unrestricted**<br>**funds**<br>**Restricted**<br>**funds**<br>**to nearest £**<br>**to nearest £**<br>**26,655**<br>**-**<br>**47,030**<br>**11,495**<br>**600**<br>**-**<br>**74,285**<br>**11,495**<br>OK<br>OK<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**funds**<br>**Restricted**<br>**funds**<br>**to nearest £**<br>**to nearest £**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**Fund to which**<br>**asset belongs**<br>**Cost (optional)**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**Fund to which**<br>**asset belongs**<br>**Cost (optional)**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**Fund to which**<br>**liability relates**<br>**Amount due**<br>**(optional)**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>Print Name<br>Charlotte L Sutton<br>Marlen I. Llanes|**Endowment**<br>**funds**<br>**to nearest £**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**Endowment**<br>**funds**<br>**to nearest £**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**<br>**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**<br>**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**When due**<br>**(optional)**|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||||Date of<br>approval|
||Charlotte Sutton|Charlotte L Sutton|26/2/26|
||Marlen Llanes|Marlen I. Llanes|26/2/26|



CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 

22/01/2026 

2 




## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** 

**Section A                        Independent Examiner’s Report** 

**Report to the trustees/** Charity Name ORINOCO - THE OXFORDSHIRE SCRAPSTORE **members of On accounts for the** 30/06/2025 **Charity no** 1195735 **period ended (if any) Set out on pages** 3-4 (remember  to include the page numbers of additional sheets) 

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended **30/06/2019** 

- **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** 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 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. 

## **Independent examiner's statement** 

I have completed my examination.  I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: 

- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or 

- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records 

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn 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:** 02/04/2026 **Signed: Name:** Sheila Parry **Relevant professional** FCCA **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** SPX Oxford Ltd, Peace House 19 Paradise Street OX1 1LD 

1 

**October 2018** 

**IER** 



## **Section B                           Disclosure** 

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

**Give here brief details of** None **any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . 

2 

**October 2018** 

**IER** 

