2024-12-31-accounts - Peaceful Streams

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PEACEFUL STREAMS U na udited fi na ncial statements For the year ended 31 December 2024

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Contents Legal and administrative information Trustees’ Report Statement of Financial Activities Balance Sheet Notes to the financial statements	PAGE
	1 2-5 6 7 8-11

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Legal and administrative information

Date of registration	5 November 2021
Charity registration number	1196446
Organisation type	CIO
Gift aid	Recognised by HMRC for gift aid
Policies	(i) Investment
	(ii) Risk management
What the charity does	General Charitable Purposes
Who the charity helps	Children/young people
	Other Charities or Voluntary Bodies
	The General Public/mankind
How the charity helps	Makes Grants To Individuals
	Makes Grants to Organisations
Where the charity operates	Throughout England and Wales
	Northern Ireland
	Scotland
Trustees	(i) Andrew James Merrington Black
	(ii) Sharon Peta Black
	(iii) James Alexander Heathcote
Principal office	124 City Road
	London
	England
	EC1V 2NX

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Trustees’ Report

For the year ended 31 December 2024

The trustees are pleased to present their reported and unaudited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Structure, governance and management

Peaceful Streams (the ‘Charity’) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, constituted by a Foundation Constitution, registered on 5 November 2021.

The Charity is managed by its trustees, of which the Constitution provides there must be a minimum of three at all times. All three current trustees served throughout the period of this report: Mr A J M Black, Mrs S P Black and Mr J A Heathcote. Mr Black served as the Chair throughout the period.

The trustees of the Charity are also its members. Under the constitution, certain key decisions relating to the fundamental structure of the Charity are required to be taken at a meeting of the members, but most day-to-day decisions and general management of the Charity are undertaken by the trustees in their capacity as such.

The original (and current) trustees were appointed by the Chair, as the Founder of the Charity, based on their skills, knowledge and experience that contribute to the effective administration of the Charity. The future appointment of any new trustees, in accordance with the Constitution, would be based on demonstrating the same criteria to encourage strong governance.

The trustees are in regular contact with one another to informally discuss matters relating to the Charity. Any matters to be brought before a formal meeting of the trustees are done so for due consideration, and any trustee is entitled and empowered to call such a meeting.

Objectives

The objectives of the Charity are deliberately broadly defined in the Constitution so as to allow the trustees to exercise their discretion for the benefit of purposes that are exclusively charitable under the law of England.

The trustees referred extensively to Charity Commission guidance on public benefit when deciding upon and defining the Charity’s objectives, and will continue to do so as they prepare for future activities.

The trustees are pleased to present this report on the activities and progress of the charity for the past financial year. Despite the challenging environment faced by many local communities across the UK, we have continued to work towards our mission of providing targeted support to those in need, with a particular focus on projects that have a meaningful and lasting impact within our community.

The economic challenges faced by many communities over the past year have only intensified, as households continue to grapple with the cost-of-living crisis, reduced public funding, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. Local organizations and charities have increasingly found themselves under pressure, struggling to meet rising demands with limited resources. Against this backdrop, our charity has sought to provide timely and essential financial support to carefully chosen projects, with the aim of relieving some of this pressure and fostering a sense of hope and resilience within the community.

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Trustees’ Report

For the year ended 31 December 2024

During the year, the trustees identified a small number of local initiatives that could greatly benefit from our grants. We worked closely with community leaders and organizations to understand where our resources could be most effectively utilized. We supported a donation to a local church's roof appeal, which will ensure that this important community hub can continue to serve residents for many years to come and further the teachings of the church in the local area, in an inclusive, forward-thinking way.

Our commitment is to supporting initiatives that not only address immediate needs but also contribute to the long-term sustainability and enrichment of the local area. We believe that by carefully selecting projects that align with our charitable objectives, we can maximise the positive outcomes for the community and ensure that our contributions have a lasting effect.

The challenges faced by local communities have been manifold, including financial insecurity, social isolation, and the strain on public services. In response, we have maintained a proactive approach, seeking out opportunities to support initiatives that alleviate these pressures in local communities and particularly for other organisations who can have a knock-on benefit to wider society.

As we look to the future, the trustees are mindful of the continuing challenges that lie ahead. The coming year is likely to bring further difficulties for many within our community, but we remain optimistic that through careful stewardship of our resources and close collaboration with local partners, we can continue to make a difference. Our focus will remain on supporting projects that address key issues within the community, whether through infrastructure improvements, service enhancements, or direct aid to those most in need.

In the year ahead, the trustees plan to build on the progress made to date, continuing to prioritise projects that align with our core objectives and ensuring that every grant we make delivers tangible benefits to the local community. We will also continue to monitor the evolving needs of the community, remaining flexible and responsive to new challenges as they arise.

We are proud of the work achieved over the past year and are committed to continuing our efforts in the year to come. We look forward to identifying new opportunities for impact, working in partnership with local organizations, and maintaining our focus on delivering positive outcomes for those in need.

Activities

In this period of account, the trustees have made the below sets of grants:-

Two grants of £25,000 each to St Marys Fetcham Church Council
A grant of £12,200 to White Lodge Centre
A grant of £50,000 to Effingham with Little Bookham

The trustees of Peaceful Streams considered that the making of the grant was in line with its objectives and aims, and that it would be used for purposes considered exclusively charitable under English law.

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Trustees’ Report

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Future plans

The trustees intend to continue to pursue their philanthropic interest in supporting the local community, identifying projects, initiatives and organisations that align with the Charity’s key themes as set out above. However, the trustees are also mindful that there are continuing developments in significant humanitarian issues in the United Kingdom and overseas, and will assess whether supporting such causes would be in line with their objectives and not lead to undue detriment to key local causes.

Investment policy

The trustees adopt a cautious approach to investment, with the priority of preserving its capital assets. It is intended and expected that sufficient income should be generated from the low-risk investment strategy (such as through government bonds and other interest-bearing assets) to satisfy the grants and commitments the trustees will support. Only in exceptional circumstances would the trustees ordinarily use capital on a regular basis to satisfy grants and commitments.

If the trustees were to invest in other assets, such as equities, their policy would be to avoid investing directly or indirectly in companies engaged in industries that would not align to their morals. Such industries would include, but may not be limited to:

Alcohol
Tobacco
Pornography
Cannabis and similar products
Weapons and arms manufacturing
Fracking and other non-sustainable resource extraction
Generally, companies that did not publish clear strategies for combating human trafficking, exploitation and child labor as part of their supply chain

Statement of trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’.

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, the Charities Act 2011, Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the Constitution requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period.

In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
prepare financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Trustees’ Report For the year ended 31 December 2024

Statement of trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements (CONTINUED)

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

APPROVED on behalf of the Board of Trustees on

A J M Black J A Heathcote Chair of the Board of Trustees Trustee

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Statement of Financial Activities

(including income and expenditure account)

For the year ended 31 December 2024

Income Notes Income and endowments from: Realised loss on disposal of fixed asset investments Unrealised loss on revaluation of fixed assets Loans waived Investment income: Bank interest Dividends Total income Expenditure Expenditure on general activities: Accountancy fees Investment management fees Other professional fees Expenditure on charitable activities: Donations Total expenditure Net (loss)/profit Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward	£ (1,440) (7,914) - (112,200)	2024 £ 9,717 26,619 - 7,469 8,231	2024	2023 £ 167 46,100 800,000 5,736 10,271	2023
		52,036 (121,554)		862,274 (1,200) (7,890) (375) (50,000)
				(59,465)
		(69,518) 779,695		802,809 (23,114)
		710,177		779,695

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Balance Sheet

As at 31 December 2024

Notes	2024 £ £ 697,644 13,733 (1,200) 12,533 710,177 710,177 710,177	2023 £ 768,308 12,587 (1,200)
3 4 5 6
		11,387
	710,177	779,695
	710,177	779,695
	710,177	779,695

The notes at pages 8 to 11 form part of these financial statements.

Approved by the Trustees on and signed on their behalf by:

A J M Black Chair

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 December 2024

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

a) Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP FRS 102 applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland, the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Practice as it applies from 1 January 2015.

The Charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).

b) Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis

After making enquires, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue its activities for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial. There are no material uncertainties casting doubt on going concern.

DEPRECIATION

Depreciation is provided at a rate calculated to write off the excess of cost over estimated residual value evenly over the estimated useful economic lives of each class of asset, subject to annual review.

INCOME

Recognition of income

These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when:

the charity becomes entitled to the resources;
it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources; and
the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability.

Donations

These are generally included when received by the charity, since it is virtually impossible to be certain of the income before this point. Gift aid recoverable on donations received is included once this can be quantified with reasonable certainty.

Legacies

These are included once the charity's legal right to the legacy has become clear and once the legacy can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.

Grants from charitable foundations

These are recognised as income when receivable unless specific conditions need to be met, and which suggest the grant should be deferred.

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Notes to the financial statements (continued) For the year ended 31 December 2024

EXPENDED RESOURCES

Liabilities

Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.

Expended resources are, as far as is possible, included in the period to which they relate.

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and the majority is directly attributable to specific activities. Other indirect costs are apportioned to activities in accordance with staff activity and an assessment of where the resources have been applied.

All expenditure is classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities in accordance with staff activity or an assessment of where the resources have been applied.

GOVERNANCE AND SUPPORT COSTS

Support costs have been allocated between governance costs and other support. Governance costs comprise all costs involving public accountability of the charity and its compliance with regulation and good practice. Support costs include central functions and have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources, eg allocating property costs by floor areas, or per capita, staff costs by the time spent and other costs by their usage.

FUNDS

The Funds held by the charity are: -

Unrestricted funds

These are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects, at the discretion of the trustees.

Designated funds

These are restricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular purpose.

GOING CONCERN

The Charity generates sufficient income from its investments to satisfy its financial commitments. The loan from Mr Black has no fixed date of repayment, is contingent on the Charity having sufficient resources to make repayment, and is not interest-bearing. On this basis, the trustees consider the Charity to be a stable going concern.

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Notes to the financial statements (continued) For the year ended 31 December 2024

2 GRANTS PAYABLE

A grant of £112,200 was paid during the period of account, as set out in the trustees’ report.

2024 £ 737,891 4,000 (111,000) 9,717	2023 £ 787,724 - (50,000) 167	2023
640,608 57,036	737,891 30,417
697,644	768,308
2024 £ 82 13,651	2023 £ 82 12,505	2023
13,733	12,587
2024 £ 1,200	2023 £ 1,200	2023
1,200	1,200

PEACEFUL STREAMS

Notes to the financial statements (continued) For the year ended 31 December 2024

STATEMENT OF UNRESTRICTED FUNDS At 1 January 2024 Surplus for the period At 31 December 2024	General fund £ 779,695 (69,518)	Total £ 779,695 (69,518)	Total
	710,177	710,177

6 STATEMENT OF UNRESTRICTED FUNDS

7 RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

Professional fees of £1,440 (including VAT that is not recoverable by the Charity) have been accrued relating to the preparation of these financial statements by the Charity’s accountant, Sanctoras Limited, of which Mr Heathcote is the director. Mr Heathcote absented himself from discussion of and voting on the appointment of Sanctoras Limited as the Charity’s accountant, such decision being made independently by the other trustees.