2024-12-31-accounts

The Brompton Medway Combined Services Boat Club

Annual Accounts and Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ending 31/12/2024

Reference and Administrative Details

Charity Number 1204691 registered in England and Wales

Trustees

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) N H Larkin, Founding Trustee appointed 13/09/2023 (Chair 13/09/2025)

Lieutenant Commander (Retired) D A Cokayne, appointed 13/09/24

Mr D B Robinson, Founding Trustee re-appointed 13/09/25

Advisers

Colonel (Retired) A R M Wilson, previously Commodore & Chair Board of Trustees Royal Engineer Yacht Club (REYC)

Captain (Retired) J Reid, previously Branch Captain REYC (Chatham)

Captain (Retired) J R Owens, Founding Trustee the Brompton Medway Combined

Services Boat Club and previously Treasurer REYC (Chatham)

Warrant Officer Class 2 (Retired) J M Crawford, previously Committee member REYC Chatham Branch

Principal Office

Cambridge House 4 Mansion Row

Gillingham

Kent ME7 5AS

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Explanatory Note –Setting up the New Charity & 2024 Transition Arrangements

1. The Brompton Medway Combined Services Boat Club was set up and registered as a charity on 12 September 2023. Its short name is the Brompton Boat Club further abbreviated here as BromptonBC or “the Charity”. The Object of the Charity is, for the public benefit, the promotion of the efficiency of the armed forces of the Crown.

2. To support the delivery of this benefit, an agreement was reached with another charity, the Royal Engineer Yacht Club (REYC), Registered Charity 1178311, which shared a similar Object, that REYC material assets and leases at Chatham would be transferred to the BromptonBC. These included an austere container-based workshop and storage on MOD-owned land at Upper Upnor, an array of moorings on the River Medway at Upnor, on river bed leased from Peel Ports and Crown Estates, and a yacht afloat used as a clubhouse. These assets at Chatham had been hitherto operated by a branch of the REYC known as REYC (Chatham). REYC (Chatham) was a fully governed and integrated element of the REYC operating under a Rear Commodore (Regions) and Branch Captain, with its own committee structure.

3. Deed of Transfer. In late 2023 a Deed of Transfer was drafted to effect the change of ownership of the assets and leases together with a cash grant to facilitate the operation of the new charity. Assets at Chatham had been depreciated or revalued to zero by the REYC to facilitate the transfer. In anticipation of a timely conclusion of the transfer to the BromptonBC, the REYC (Chatham) Branch was closed with effect from 31 December 2023 and Branch officers provided the trustees and advisers for the new charity. In the event, the Deed was not concluded by the end of 2023 and it was clear that transitional arrangements needed to be put in place immediately for 2024 as continuity was essential to achieve the continued safe operation and efficient management of these REYC moorings.

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4. Responsibilities in Transition. Both charities agreed that for 2024:

a. REYC members at Chatham (principally previous members of REYC Chatham Branch) should continue to be responsible for the operational management of REYC resources at Chatham until the Deed of Transfer was concluded. All matters were to be conducted in accordance with REYC rules and policies.

b. REYC members at Chatham would maintain a simple income and expenditure account, bank account and pay Chatham-related bills maintaining a float of about £3K for that purpose. Surpluses would be remitted to the main REYC account. Financial inspection and audit and reporting arrangements, including the submission of accounts to the Charity Commission, would necessarily remain the responsibility of the REYC.

c. Brompton BC Trustees in their dual capacity as REYC members would negotiate and conclude any forward-looking arrangements essential for the operation of the new charity. This includes negotiating the Service Level Agreement governing access to and support from the MOD regarding MODcontrolled land at Upnor where shore facilities are based.

1. Current Status. At the time of writing (October 2025), the Deed of Transfer is yet to be finalised although firm agreement in principle to the terms was reached between the Trustees of both charities earlier in the year.

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Objectives and Activities

1. The object of the Charity is, for the public benefit, the promotion of the efficiency of the armed forces of the Crown by:

2. a. The provision and support including of sailing facilities, equipment and activities for the efficiency and well-being of Service personnel;

b. Providing opportunities for Service personnel to gain additional experience and develop the military virtues of courage, self-reliance, mental robustness, endurance and leadership relevant to their jobs;

c. Improving engagement between the local community and the armed forces:

d. Providing an association which supports the armed forces in general and the Corps of Royal Engineers in particular and enables serving and veteran members to mix together.

1. The Charity provides a firm base, albeit austere, for water-based activity together with moorings for serving and retired Service personnel and civilians who support the object of the Charity. The Club operates on a self-help basis which in itself generates a warm and friendly cooperative atmosphere between civilians and the military improving local engagement. This interaction brings health benefits to involved individuals which seem obvious but are not always tangible.

2. The Club is not currently configured or authorised to provide formal sail training or MOD-sponsored adventurous training activities directly. Nevertheless, the surplus income generated by the effective management of the moorings by the Charity Trustees and Members is available to fund sail training on the River Medway for Service personnel at the Royal School of Military Engineering at Chatham and at other local

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Service establishments. Such activities recognisably take individuals beyond their comfort zones to enhance leadership, resilience, teamwork, decision-making, and physical/moral courage, which are crucial for operating under pressure and completing demanding tasks. Thus they enhance military efficiency for the public benefit.

Achievements and Performance

1. The Charity Trustees confirm that they have paid due regard to the Charity Commission of England and Wales guidance on public benefit when deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

2. In the absence of a signed Deed of Transfer, the Charity Trustees, in their dual capacity as REYC members, focussed on optimizing the efficient operation of the REYC moorings and equipment. This included proposing a revised Service Level Agreement with 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment (1 RSME Regt) to improve access to the MOD site at Upnor and River Medway.

3. The moorings operation in 2024 generated an excess of income over expenditure of £5,227.77 credited to the REYC Chatham Fund, a Designated Fund to support the Objects of the REYC at Chatham. Additionally, £400.00 of members’ subscriptions was collected on behalf of the REYC.

Financial Review

1. The charity holds no cash or assets of value at the end of the accounting period. Figure 1 shows the surplus that would have been available to the Charity had the Deed of Transfer been finalised.

2. Reserves Policy. The Charity Trustees have determined that the Charity requires a reserve of about £15k. This is based upon the worst case that should the Charity fail then the reserve would cover the cost of remediating the site. Remediation

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would involve the cost of lifting and disposal of all anchorages, ground chains and mooring tackle and removal of the land based storage containers and equipment.

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Figure1
Royal Engineer Yacht Club at Chatham Accounts
Income and Expenditure for theyear ended 31 December 2024
Income				£
Members' Mooring Charges- Note1				11,290.50
Peel PortsManagementFee				277.60
Total Income				11,568.10
Expenditure
Crown EstatesLicence				1,600.00
Peel PortsLicence				676.85		MooringManager Expenses
MooringMaintenance				2,551.00		396.76
MooringInsurance				576.13		189.59
MooringManager Expenses				586.35
2023 Bad Debt				285.00		586.35
MBSA membership				25.00
MembershipFee				40.00
Total Expenditure				6,340.33
Excess of income over expenditure				5,227.77
Capital Expenditure				NIL
Royal Engineer Yacht Club at Chatham
		Balance Sheet
		as at
		31 December 2024
Chatham Fund (Designated)-		Note2		Assets	£
As at1January2023		22,874.57		ChathamBank	3,397.02
MooringsFees		11,290.50		MainBank	24,145.32
Peel PortsManagementFee		277.60
Total Expenditure		6,340.33 -
Income over Expenditure		5,227.77
				Equipment	560.00
Creditors				Debtors	-
		28,102.34			28,102.34
			JROwens,MA FCA
			Hon Treasurer REYC(C)
Note1- Excludesmembership subscriptions whicharenot credited to the Chatham Fund (Designated)
Note2 -Doesnotinclude depreciationchargesloaded onto theFund byREYC

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1. Risk and Risk Reduction Measures. The Charity Trustees have assessed the risk of failure as low. The cash grant negotiated with the REYC of c£8.2k does not fully cover such remediation costs and it has been further agreed between the charities that should the charity fail in the period up to December 2026 through no fault then the remediation responsibility would be shared equally between the REYC and the Charity. This would mitigate the risk and permit time for the Charity to build up a full reserve of £15k during 2025 and 2026.

Structure, Governance and Management

1. The Charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) following the Foundation Model. Its governing document is its Constitution. The current version is dated 8 November 2023 (Version 1.3) and incorporates minor administrative adjustments recommended by the Charity Commission at its registration on 12 September 2023.

2. The Charity currently has three trustees two of whom were Founding Trustees. The Charity’s Constitution makes provision for the appointment of two trustees by the Commanding Officer (CO) 1 RSME Regt. Trustees are all provided with the necessary documents on appointment and suitably trained for their charitable role. Their experience of sailing provides them with knowledge to support sailing activities.

3. The Trustees recognise that they need to give early consideration to appointing additional trustees and have arranged a meeting with CO 1 RSME Regt regarding their appointment, having due regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the Charity. Constitutionally Durrant Troop Commander, 36 Training Squadron, 1 RSME Regiment, who controls military boat training at Chatham is automatically, by virtue of holding that office (“ex officio”), a charity trustee. The previous incumbent declined to take up this role and his successor will be approached through CO 1 RSME Regt. Also, due consideration needs to be given for succession planning of the existing trustees.

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1. The Charity holds no funds as a custodian trustee.

Signed on Original NHLarkin N H LARKIN Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Chair Board of Trustees

30[th] October 2025

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